Psychological functioning and family discord among African-American adolescent females with and without a history of childhood sexual abuse.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to examine the rate of childhood sexual abuse along with the factors (age of abuse onset, type of perpetrator, and duration of the abuse), as well as the relationship of these factors to psychological functioning among females with a history of childhood abuse. Second, to determine whether levels of psychological functioning and family discord differ among females with and without a history of childhood sexual abuse.


METHODS
A cross-sectional design was used. Two hundred and forty-nine adolescent females were recruited from a community-based health program. Two trained female interviewers administered an anonymous survey that assessed childhood sexual abuse, psychological functioning, and family environment.


RESULTS
Fifty-seven (22.9%) of those surveyed reported childhood sexual abuse, of which 44.3% were intrafamilial and 55.7% were interfamilial. Age at onset ranged from 3 years to 17 years; 62.5% reported that the sexual abuse occurred 1 to 4 times; 27.9% reported a duration ranging from 1 year to 13 years; and 9.6% reported a duration of 1 month to 7 months. Multiple regression analysis revealed that a greater duration predicted higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem among females with a history of sexual abuse. Females with a history of childhood sexual abuse scored significantly lower on measures of self-esteem and mastery, and significantly higher on measures of physical and emotional abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that adolescent females with a history of childhood sexual abuse suffer an array of negative sequelae that include psychological and family distress.
Cecil
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H
Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-0022, USA.
Matson
S C
SC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D017668:Age of Onset; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology