Sl. Bryant et Lm. Range, TYPE AND SEVERITY OF CHILD-ABUSE AND COLLEGE-STUDENTS LIFETIME SUICIDALITY, Child abuse & neglect, 21(12), 1997, pp. 1169-1176
Objective: The present study compared reported histories and severity
of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and both, in college men
and women. Method: Four hundred and eighty-six consenting undergraduat
es completed measures of suicidality, sexual abuse (SA), and physical
abuse (PA). Based on their responses, they were categorized into 12 mu
tually exclusive groups: no PA/no SA (n = 234), moderate PA/no SA (n =
78), severe PA/no SA (n = 34), no Pa/mild SA (n = 21), moderate PA/mi
ld SA (n = 12), severe PA/mild SA (n = 5), no PA/moderate SA (n = 20),
moderate PA/moderate SA (n = 15), and severe PA/moderate SA (n = 10).
Results: Participants who reported both severe sexual and severe phys
ical abuse reported more lifetime suicidality than participants who re
ported either mild sexual and/or physical abuse. Those who reported se
xual abuse involving invasive sexual acts such as rape, and physical a
buse involving behaviors that resulted in physical injury to the child
, were more suicidal than those who reported less severe abuse. In add
ition, although combined sexual and physical abuse correlated with inc
reased suicidality, unexpectedly, there was no interaction. Finally, w
omen students endorsed more reasons for living than men and about the
same level of suicidal ideas and global suicidality, despite a greater
likelihood of having been abused. Conclusions: The absence of an inte
raction between sexual and physical abuse suggests that this increased
suicidality is additive rather than multiplicative. An implication is
that college counseling personnel need to be aware of the suicidal ri
sk of women and men students reporting either sexual or physical abuse
. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.