PERCEPTIONS OF ABUSE - EFFECTS ON ADULT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL-ADJUSTMENT

The present study examined perceptions of abuse (psychological, physic al, and sexual) and later adult psychological and social adjustment in a nonclinical sample of 173 individuals. A subgroup of abused individ uals were identified (Minimizers), who reported levels of abuse above the mean, but failed to acknowledge themselves as abused. Analyses of variance revealed that abused individuals, both Acknowledgers and Mini mizers, consistently had more psychological and social adjustment prob lems than the Nonabused group. In addition, individuals who fell in th e Minimizing subgroup had more detrimental outcome than the Abused (Ac knowledgers) group in a few areas, suggesting that the perception of p ast events (abuse) may be an important factor in determining future ps ychological adjustment.