A Follow-Up Study of Factors that Mediate the Development of Psychological Symptomatology in Sexually Abused Girls

Abstract

This study was a follow-up investigation of several child and family factors and their impact on the development of psychological symptomatology in sexually abused girls. Sixty abused girls aged 8 to 13 were compared with 85 normal controls at 6- and 12-month follow-up assessments. The mediating variables examined included abuse-related attributions and perceptions, general attributions, locus of control, parental support, the parent's emotional reaction to the abuse, and family cohesion and adaptability. At both follow-ups, abuse-related attributions and perceptions, as measured by the Children's Attributions and Perceptions Scale, were significantly correlated with and predictive of self-reported symptoms in the abused group. Also, at the 12-month follow-up, locus of control and the parent's emotional reaction to the abuse emerged as significant predictor variables of symptom development in abused subjects. Mediating factors from the 6- to 12-month follow-up in the abused group did not change. Locus of control at the 6-month follow-up correlated significantly with trait anxiety at the 12-month follow-up. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the evolving literature on those factors that ameliorate or exacerbate the psychological impact of child sexual abuse.