Manifestations of bodily concern in sexually abused girls

Rorschach Inkblot Test (Rorschach, 1921/1942) records of clinical samples of sexually abused and nonabused but distressed girls were examined with respect to selected contents hypothesized to reflect aspects of bodily concern. Consistent with core psychoanalytic assumptions regarding the salience of bodily based experiences on personality development, it was proposed that sexually abused participants would produce significantly different frequencies of Rorschach contents indicative of bodily concern than their nonabused counterparts. Results revealed significant group differences on the barrier scale of the Barrier and Penetration Scoring System (Fisher & Cleveland, 1968), with sexually abused girls scoring significantly lower than nonabused girls (p < .003). No reliable group differences emerged with respect to penetration scores, or any of the Comprehensive System (Exner, 1993) variables under study. Clinical implications are discussed.