Characteristics of sexual abuse associated with greater psychological impairment among children
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M R Nash1, O A Zivney, T Hulsey
1College of Liberal Arts, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville 37996-0900.
Abstract:
The psychiatric histories and projective test responses of 102 sexually abused girls (ages 5 to 16) were examined to determine if some particular characteristics of sexual abuse were reliably associated with more serious impairment. Characteristics of abuse significantly associated with greater psychological disturbance were: more than one perpetrator, an early age of abuse onset (before age 7 or 8), and periods of intense and frequent abuse episodes (more than 3 or 4 times per month). What enhanced the child's capacity to recover was the presence of a relatively stable two-parent household. Implications for prognosis and treatment are discussed.