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Sexual victimization: is there a vicious cycle?
1Department of Psychology, Auburn University, AL 36830.
Violence and Victims
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Many women experience repeated sexual victimization. While child abuse didn't directly predict adult abuse, both correlated with more consensual partners, and repeated adult victimization lacked links to personality traits.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Criminology
Background:
- Literature suggests repeated sexual victimization is common among women.
- Understanding the links between child and adult sexual abuse is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between child and adult sexual victimization.
- To assess the influence of personality and situational variables on victimization patterns.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 282 female undergraduates on child and adult sexual abuse incidents.
- Measurement of personality traits (assertiveness, dependency, self-esteem, attributional style).
- Assessment of situational variables (family background, dating/sexual history).
Main Results:
- Child sexual victimization did not directly predict adult sexual victimization.
- Both child and adult victimizations correlated with a higher number of adult consensual sexual partners.
- Repeated adult victimization was identified in some cases but not linked to specific personality variables.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights complex patterns in sexual victimization, with no direct predictive link from childhood to adulthood.
- Further research is needed on women with both childhood and adult victimization experiences and those with repeated adult victimization.
- Understanding these patterns is vital for developing targeted interventions and support systems.