Ap. Mannarino et al., THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREABUSE FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS, Child abuse & neglect, 18(1), 1994, pp. 63-71
This study investigated the relationship between preabuse factors and
psychological symptomatology in sexually abused girls. Ninety-four sex
ually abused girls, 89 clinical controls, and 75 normal controls compr
ised the subject population. All subjects were ages 6-12. Preabuse inf
ormation was obtained with the Developmental, Psychiatric, and Medical
History (DPM). Symptom measures included the Children's Depression In
ventory (CDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), Pie
rs-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and the Child Behavior Checkl
ist (CBCL parent version). Results indicated that the sexually abused
and clinical control groups had significantly more prior developmental
and psychiatric problems and significantly more past stressors on the
DPM than the normal control group. In addition, in examining the sexu
ally abused group only, prior developmental and psychiatric problems w
ere clearly associated with increased behavioral and emotional problem
s (CBCL), self-reported depressive symptoms (CDI), and lower self-este
em (Piers-Harris). Parallel results were found in the clinical control
group, although correlations were higher in the sexual abuse group. F
indings are interpreted to support the notion that there are a multitu
de of variables that may affect the psychological adjustment of sexual
ly abused children, including preabuse and post-abuse factors and the
trauma of the abusive experience itself