Shame, Humiliation, and Childhood Sexual Abuse: Distinct Contributions and Emotional Coherence

• NCJ Number: 212017
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 350-363
• Author(s): Claudio Negrao II; George A. Bonanno; Jennie G. Noll; Frank W. Putnam; Penelope K. Trickett
• Date Published: November 2005
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health; National Ctr on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined how the emotions of shame, anger, and humiliation are related to the psychological adjustment of child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors.

Abstract

Previous research has linked CSA to a variety of deleterious long-term consequences, including psychological consequences such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study extends examinations of psychological components of CSA by investigating the influence of shame, humiliation, and anger on the relationships between emotional coherence, disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, and trauma. Participants were 163 individuals, approximately half of whom had experienced some form of CSA, who completed measures of disclosure of abuse, facial expressions of emotion, and lifetime PTSD symptoms. The authors coded shame, anger, and humiliation from narrative transcripts of the participants as they disclosed an abuse experience or described a distressing nonabuse experience. The results indicated that coherence between verbal humiliation and facial shame was related to increased PSTD symptoms. Survivors of CSA were more likely to verbalize shame, humiliation, and anger. Clinical implications are discussed and include the suggestion that the verbal expression of humiliation among CSA survivors may emerge as an important indicator of unresolved issues relating to the abuse. Tables, figures, references