Mediators of the long-term impact of child sexual abuse: perceived stigma, betrayal, powerlessness, and self-blame.
Using a community sample of 192 adult women who had been sexually abused during childhood, the present study tested the hypothesis that perceived stigma, betrayal, powerlessness, and self-blame mediate the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. A path analysis indicated that the level of psychological distress currently experienced by adult women who had been sexually abused in childhood was mediated by feelings of stigma and self-blame. This result provides partial support for Finkelhor and Browne's (1985) traumagenic dynamics model of child sexual abuse. The limitations of the study are discussed.
Coffey
P
P
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA.
Leitenberg
H
H
Henning
K
K
Turner
T
T
Bennett
R T
RT
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009511:New England; D010553:Personality Development; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012494:Sampling Studies; D015983:Selection Bias; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012752:Shame; D012938:Social Perception; D017741:Survivors