Women's disclosure of sexual abuse

Abstract

In this qualitative study of women who have experienced nonconsensual sexual activity, participants were asked to write accounts of their experiences focusing on what motivated them to confide in someone, to whom they confided, what the outcome was, and how it effected them. Participants had to be female and 18 years of age or older, and they had to have been sexually abused at some point in their lives. A total of 10 women participated. Nine of the women wrote about an abusive experience that happened to them as a child, and one wrote about an experience that occurred in adulthood. The participants wrote that they were able to disclose their past sexually abusive experience because they felt safe with the person to whom they confided, they felt they needed help, and the opportunity presented itself. They were more likely to disclose to non-family members than family members, and the majority of the people they disclosed to had a positive reaction. Consequently, most of the women in this study were positively affected by their disclosure. Findings of this study are similar to those of other studies on disclosure and sexual abuse.     

Salutogenesis and autobiographical disclosure among Holocaust survivors

Forty-five Holocaust survivors and a comparison group of 21 Jews who had not experienced Nazi persecution completed questionnaires assessing salutogenic (health-enhancing) and pathogenic (illness-inducing) outcomes of Holocaust vs. other traumatic experiences. Salutogenesis and pathogenesis were negatively correlated. Holocaust survivors were consistently higher on the measure of salutogenesis; with marital history held constant, this difference was statistically significant. Neither group reported high incidences of posttraumatic stress symptoms, although survivors reported more. Talking about one's Holocaust experiences was related to more positive and fewer negative responses. Marital history and religious observance mediated some aspects of both positive and negative long-term consequences. The results indicate that the long-term consequences of even extreme trauma may include increased personal strength and growth.     

Adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse

This paper outlines the conclusions drawn from a qualitative research study which involved in-depth interviews with 2.5 adult males who had been sexually abused during childhood. The full findings have been described in Adult Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse published by Pitman (1995). The book includes many of the men's first person accounts of their experiences of abuse.     

The role of traumagenic dynamics on the psychological adjustment of survivors of child sexual abuse

The aim of this study was to analyse the consequences of child sexual abuse (CSA) on the psychological adjustment of survivors, as well as to determine the role of the feelings provoked by the abuse, following Finkelhor and Browne's traumagenic dynamics model (1985), on the adjustment of CSA victims. The sample of the study comprised 182 survivors of CSA, and another 182 participants selected as a comparison group. Results showed that CSA survivors, in contrast with the group of non-victims of CSA, had significantly higher scores on state anxiety, trait anxiety and depression, and lower on self-esteem. With regard to the role of traumagenic dynamics, feelings of powerlessness, self-blame, traumatic sexualization and, to a lesser extent, betrayal, predicted the scores of the CSA survivors in the four psychological adjustment variables assessed. To summarize, the results confirm the relation between CSA and the development of psychological problems in adulthood, explaining the survivors' feelings to a substantial extent the variability of adjustment.     

The effects of perpetrator age and abuse disclosure on the relationship between feelings provoked by child sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress

The present study examined the relationship between feelings provoked by child sexual abuse (CSA) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom scores in a sample of 163 female survivors of CSA. Finkelhor and Browne's traumagenic dynamics model was applied. The interactive effects of provoked feelings with perpetrator age and the existence of abuse disclosure were also studied. Results showed an overall relationship between feelings provoked by CSA and PTSD symptom scores. Feelings of stigma, betrayal, and powerlessness as a result of CSA were associated with PTSD symptom score when the entire group of CSA victims was analyzed. The role of traumatic sexualization was relevant only when analyzed in interaction with the age of the perpetrator and disclosure. The relationship between traumatic sexualization and PTSD symptom scores was only significant when the abuse was committed by an adult perpetrator and when a disclosure was made during the time of abuse, or a short time after the abuse had occurred.     

The effects of perpetrator age and abuse disclosure on the relationship between feelings provoked by child sexual abuse and posttraumatic stress

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between feelings provoked by child sexual abuse (CSA) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom scores in a sample of 163 female survivors of CSA. Finkelhor and Browne's traumagenic dynamics model was applied. The interactive effects of provoked feelings with perpetrator age and the existence of abuse disclosure were also studied. Results showed an overall relationship between feelings provoked by CSA and PTSD symptom scores. Feelings of stigma, betrayal, and powerlessness as a result of CSA were associated with PTSD symptom score when the entire group of CSA victims was analyzed. The role of traumatic sexualization was relevant only when analyzed in interaction with the age of the perpetrator and disclosure. The relationship between traumatic sexualization and PTSD symptom scores was only significant when the abuse was committed by an adult perpetrator and when a disclosure was made during the time of abuse, or a short time after the abuse had occurred.     

Male sexual abuse: A review of effects,abuse characteristics,and links with later psychological functioning

Despite the increasing awareness of sexual victimization involving males, there remain a number of factors (e.g., stigma of homosexuality, male ethic of self-reliance) that continue to contribute to the underreporting of such cases. Nonetheless, there appears to be growing recognition of male sexual abuse as a serious problem with potentially numerous debilitating consequences. The clinical and research literature presently contains a number of articles on issues pertaining to males who have experienced sexual abuse during childhood. The purpose of the present paper is to review some of the more recent literature on the short- and long-term effects commonly found among sexually abused males. These effects, which include depression, self-blame, low self-esteem, anger, anxiety, and sexuality problems, are also compared with findings commonly reported among sexually abused females. In addition to sexual abuse effects, the present paper also reviews a number of important sexual abuse characteristics (e.g., age of abuse onset, duration of the abuse, nature of the sexual activity), examines the relationship of these characteristics to later psychological functioning, and explores gender similarities and differences. Finally, the implications of the findings with regard to treatment interventions are briefly discussed.     

Memory retrieval in treating adult survivors of sexual abuse

Abstract

Therapists working with adult survivors of sexual abuse must be sensitive to the powerful ambivalence such clients have toward addressing their victimization. They fear experiencing the significant emotional turmoil which occurs in therapy and the powerful loyalty conflicts they encounter in their families-of-origin. Establishing rapport and allowing clients to set the pace for disclosing and addressing their abuse are critical components of the therapy process. The authors describe effective Ericksonian approaches for establishing these critical treatment elements. Ericksonian techniques for utilizing the client's internal resources and retrieving repressed memories are also discussed, followed by case examples illustrating specific hypnotic methods.     

Psychodynamic group therapy for male survivors of sexual abuse

The group therapy literature on male sexual abuse is very preliminary and concerned solely with short-term support models. This paper describes a long-term psychodynamic therapy group for male survivors that has been running successfully in a clinic setting for almost three years. This combined group and individual treatment approach presupposes the selection of men who are capable of using group process to explore basic personality and relationship problems. With sexually abused men, certain treatment issues are paramount. These concern the safety of group boundaries, power and control, facilitating intimacy, handling shame and guilt, and the effects of trauma. Special attention is given to the gender-related dynamics and conflicts that occur in a group of male survivors with a male leader.     

Child sexual abuse: offenders,disclosure, and school-based initiatives

Children are being sexually abused at an alarming rate. Prevalence estimates suggest that one out of four girls and one out of ten boys experience sexual abuse. This paper examines the devastating impact of child sexual abuse and explores the contributions of school-based interventions to remedy the problem.     

Context matters: the benefits and costs of expressing positive emotion among survivors of childhood sexual abuse

Positive emotions promote adjustment to aversive life events. However, evolutionary theory and empirical research on trauma disclosure suggest that in the context of stigmatized events, expressing positive emotions might incur social costs. To test this thesis, the authors coded genuine (Duchenne) smiling and laughter and also non-Duchenne smiling from videotapes of late-adolescent and young adult women, approximately half with documented histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), as they described the most distressing event of their lives. Consistent with previous studies, genuine positive emotional expression was generally associated with better social adjustment two years later. However, as anticipated, CSA survivors who expressed positive emotion in the context of describing a past CSA experience had poorer long-term social adjustment, whereas CSA survivors who expressed positive emotion while describing a nonabuse experience had improved social adjustment. These findings suggest that the benefits of positive emotional expression may often be context specific.     

Child sexual abuse coping and long term psychological adjustment

The aim of the study was to analyze the consequences of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) on the psychological adjustment of university students, as well as the way in which several avoidance and approach coping strategies affect that adjustment. The sample comprised 1162 students from the University of Granada. Data about CSA was obtained from a questionnaire developed with this aim. We used the How I Deal with Things Scale of Burt and Katz to evaluate coping strategies, whereas depression and self-esteem were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, respectively. Subjects who were victims of CSA showed significantly higher scores on depression and lower scores on self-esteem. An analysis of coping strategies revealed that only the use of avoidance strategies was related to psychological adjustment. Subjects who used these strategies obtained higher scores on depression and lower scores on self-esteem. These results confirm the idea of CSA as a risk experience that can affect victims' psychological adjustment, to a greater or lesser extent, according to the coping strategy employed.     

The impact of Christian counselling on survivors of sexual abuse

The absence of research and growing involvement of Christians in all areas of counselling gave rise to this study which explores the impact of Christian counselling on adult survivors of sexual abuse. The sample of 44 women and 5 men from an inter-denominational, self-help network, completed a self-report questionnaire of perceived Christian and professional counselling experiences involving issues of trust, power, directive approach, use of prayer and Scripture, responsibility and outcome. Results show that Christian counselling is experienced as qualitatively different from professional counselling: Christian counsellors are perceived as significantly more directive and more powerful than professional counsellors and the overall outcome was perceived more negatively. A number of key factors were identified which influenced the negative experience of some Christian counselling. These included having experience of professional counselling, an emphasis on the use of prayer and Scripture, perceiving the counsellor to have different goals from the client, feeling blamed for continued distress and having prior experience of prayer ministry. Implications for counselling practice and training are discussed.     

Supervising counsellors who work with survivors of childhood sexual abuse

This paper draws attention to issues for supervisors who support counsellors working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse from the perspective of trauma theory. The author describes the effects of vicarious traumatization and the unconscious dynamics that contribute to this experience. A narrative approach is included as another way of supervisors listening to distressing stories, both those of clients and of their counsellors, and reflects on the value of bearing witness to those stories in supervision and of recognizing them as a source of healing.     

Physical activity to address multimorbidity among survivors of sexual violence: A comprehensive narrative review

BackgroundSexual Violence (SV) is highly prevalent and experienced by women and men throughout the United States and world. Survivors of SV often experience poor mental and physical health, and poor health-related quality of life. Studies have explored the associations between SV survivorship and maladaptive health behaviors, but few have examined SV and health promoting activities such as exercise.PurposeThe aim of this narrative review is to describe available peer-reviewed literature regarding SV and physical activity and provide recommendations for future research. Specifically, this review aimed to identify information relevant for promoting and designing exercise interventions that can integrate into clinical treatments for adult survivors of SV.MethodsA search of electronic databases identified 18 articles on SV and exercise behavior.ResultsFour of these studies were exercise interventions, 10 were observational studies, and 4 were qualitative interviews. Results broadly indicate that levels of physical activity among survivors of SV is unclear. Findings from trials indicate exercise may have a positive impact on mental health in survivors of SV. Qualitative interviews found survivors often enjoyed exercising and identified several health benefits, suggesting exercise interventions may be feasible and acceptable in this population. Interviews also identified valuable information about survivors' experiences with exercise.ConclusionsResearch in this area would benefit from: representative samples of adults among populations at high risk for victimization, more consistent and in-depth reporting of SV history and exercise levels, consistent and trauma-informed outcome measurements, and more diverse study designs and interventions. Increased exploration of exercise in this population is warranted given the well-established evidence base indicating the health promoting qualities of exercise for mental and physical health among trauma affected populations.     

Initial psychological effects of sexual abuse on female children as reflected in the Hand Test

Previous research regarding the initial effects of sexual abuse on children has varied in terms of methodologies, measurement instruments, and reported findings. Recent studies, however, suggest that projective techniques may be useful in resolving some of these inconsistencies. This study utilized the Hand Test to investigate the initial effects of sexual abuse on female children. Authenticated cases of sexually abused children were compared to a matched sample of presumably nonabused children. Significant differences on six variables were obtained between the groups but, more important, Hand Test patterns emerged which appeared to distinguish among those victims who: (a) were severely traumatized by the abuse, (b) displayed neurotic tendencies, and (c) did not seem to have suffered measurable detrimental effects. It was suggested that these findings may help reconcile conflicting views that have appeared in the literature.     

Gay male sexual assault survivors: the relations among internalized homophobia, experiential avoidance, and psychological symptom severity

This study explored the relations among internalized homophobia (IH), experiential avoidance, and psychological symptom severity in a community sample of 74 gay male sexual assault survivors. Results indicated that IH is associated with both depressive and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. IH accounted for more variance than assault severity in predicting both PTSD and depression symptom severity. IH and experiential avoidance similarly predicted PTSD symptom severity. In comparison with IH, however, experiential avoidance is a stronger predictor of depression symptom severity. Results also showed that experiential avoidance partially mediated the relation between IH and both depressive and PTSD symptom severity. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.