THE CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOR OF SEXUALLY ABUSED FEMALES

This study examines the relationship of child sexual abuse to classroo m academic performance and behavior in a sample of 6-16-year-old girls . Half of the sample was sexually abused by a family member. The other half is a demographically similar nonabused comparison group. Measure s of academic performance include school records, teacher's ratings of classroom behavior and performance, and parental reports of school pe rformance. Possible mediators of the impact of sexual abuse on classro om performance and behavior - cognitive capability, perceived competen ce, and behavior problems-are also measured. Results can be summarized as follows. (a) A history of sexual abuse does predict academic perfo rmance: Abuse is directly negatively related to ratings of classroom s ocial competence, competent learner, and overall academic performance and positively related to school avoidant behavior, but is not related to grades. (b) Sexual abuse is negatively related to cognitive abilit y and positively related to measures of behavior problems indicating d epression, destructiveness, and dissociation. (c) Cognitive ability an d perceived competence predict the more ''academic'' aspects of academ ic performance - grades, ratings as a competent learner, and overall a cademic performance. Behavior problems predict ratings as a competent learner, classroom social competence, school avoidant behavior, and ov erall academic performance.