Child sexual abuse and adult revictimization with women of color.
Clinical researchers examining the long-term consequences of child molestation have reported that female survivors of child sexual abuse experience a higher risk of sexual assaults as adults. However, very little literature has focused on the child and/or adult sexual victimization of women from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. In examining the long-term consequences of child sexual abuse, this investigation examined the rates of sexual revictimization of women of color. A multiethnic (white, African-American, Latina, and Asian-American) sample of 243 women, recruited and randomly selected from a pool of volunteers from two community colleges, were administered extensive clinical interviews. Nearly two thirds of the women who reported rape as an adult had a history of child sexual abuse while approximately one third of the non-victimized women had a child sexual abuse history. Additionally, an examination of the rates of adult rape within each ethnic group revealed differences between the women with and without a history of child sexual abuse. Significant differences (i.e., higher rates of rape associated with a prior history of child sexual abuse) were found for white women, African-American women, and Latinas, but not for Asian-American women. The results of this investigation highlight the relationship between child sexual abuse and adult rape and suggest the need for researchers to take a broader cultural context in which to view sexual victimization.
Urquiza
A J
AJ
Child Protection Center, University of California, Davis Medical Center, USA.
Goodlin-Jones
B L
BL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D011902:Rape / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology