title: Correlations Between Sexual Abuse Histories, Perceived Danger, and PTSD Among Intimate Partner Violence Victims.
abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV), childhood abuse, and sexual assault in adulthood are profound public health concerns, particularly for women. Exposure to trauma can contribute to long-standing health problems and escalated medical costs. Unfortunately, these experiences are often intertwined. Sexual assault often occurs in intimate relationships in which there is concurrent IPV; likewise, many victims of IPV have experienced childhood abuse. The prevalent intersections of these struggles can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This article examines the contributions of childhood abuse histories and sexual assault to PTSD symptoms among women experiencing IPV. Findings suggest childhood abuse experiences account for more variance in PTSD symptoms than adult sexual assault. Clinical implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Private Practice, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Mandi L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Burnette
authors.affiliation: University of Rochester, NY, USA Catherine_Cerulli@urmc.rochester.edu.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cerulli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: childhood abuse; intimate partner violence; posttraumatic stress disorder; sexual assault