The relationship of race/ethnicity to symptoms in childhood sexual abuse

This study evaluated the relationship of race/ethnicity to the severity of symptoms in sexually abused girls. A racially mixed sample of 134 girls was evaluated on depression, anxiety, and self-worth. Race/ethnicity, alone, did not significantly predict outcome. However, the interaction of race/ethnicity with the type of abuse was significant. Latina girls who experienced penetration abuse scored significantly higher on all outcome measures than Latinas whose abuse did not include penetration. There was an indication that a trend existed in those girls who experienced penetration abuse for Latinas to score higher on anxiety and depression than African American or White girls. Some possible explanations for the findings are explored.