PTSD and Substance Use as Pathways of Adolescent Girls Sexual Revictimization: A Prospective Study

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with adverse outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, substance use and a higher risk for sexual revictimization (Scoglio et al., 2021). While adolescents represent the most high-risk group to experience sexual violence, especially teenage girls, the majority of studies on revictimization have been conducted with adult samples (Conroy & Cotter, 2017). In addition, in examining sexual revictimization, studies have focused on contact forms of sexual violence, neglecting other prevalent forms of victimization, namely sexual harassment (Brown et al., 2020). This prospective study aimed to 1) investigate the association between CSA and sexual revictimization, including sexual harassment, and 2) determine whether PTSD and substance use mediate the association between CSA and sexual revictimization among teenage girls. A total of 3985 adolescent girls (M = 15.39 years old; SD = .96) completed questionnaires that assessed experiences of sexual violence, other adverse childhood events, PTSD symptoms and substance use. Results unveiled a significant indirect effect, where PTSD and substance use mediated the relationship between a history of CSA and later sexual victimization. Findings underscore the importance of addressing PTSD symptoms and substance use in intervention, as they appear to be mechanisms underlying sexual revictimization.