Mediators of the long-term impact of child sexual abuse: Perceived stigma, betrayal, powerlessness, and self-blame

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Abstract

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.

Résumé

A partir d'un échantillon de 192 femmes qui avaient été victimes d'abus sexuels durant leur enfance, l'étude a voulu vérifier l'hypothèse que la honte, la trahison, l'absence de pouvoir et le blâme de soi sont des facteurs qui influent sur les effets à long terme des agressions sexuelles. Une analyse indique que le niveau de détresse psychologique que connaissent ces victimes était affecté par les sentiments de honte et de blâme de soi. Ce résultat corrobore en partie les modèles de Finkelhor et de Browne (1985) sur la dynamique reliée aux traumatismes L'article discute des limites de l'étude.

Resumen

En esta investigación se analizó la hipótesis de que los sentimientos de estigmatización, de traición, de impotencia y de autoinculpación son mediadores de los efectos a largo plazo del abuso sexual infantil. Para ello, se utilizó una muestra comunitaria de 192 mujeres adultas que habian sido victimas de abuso sexual durante la infancia. El “análisis de vias” indicó que el nivel de malestar psicológico experimentado actualmente por una mujer adulta que habia sido abusada sexualmente en la infancia, está mediatizado por los sentimientos de estigmatización y de autoinculpación. Este resultado proporciona apoyo parcial al modelo de la génesis dinámica del trauma de Finkelhor y Browne (1985). Se discuten las limitaciones de la investigación.

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This study was supported in part by a grant from the Child and Adolescent Research Foundation.

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