THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREABUSE FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS

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