The Initial sequelae of sexual abuse in adolescent girls : family factors and psychosocial maturity
Date
1995
Authors
Turner, Pamela Karen
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Abstract
The present investigation utilized the psychosocial developmental theory of Erik Erikson (1963, 1968) to conceptualize the nature of sexual abuse sequelae in a female adolescent population. This study examined the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA), family functioning (Network of Relationships Inventory; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985), and psychosocial maturity (Erikson Psychosocial Inventory; Rosenthal et al., 1981). Participants were 22 sexually abused girls and 22 matched non-abused girls sampled from various counselling agencies and schools in the Victoria, B.C. area. Results indicated that family functioning was a moderator between CSA and psychosocial maturity. Specifically, high conflict with parents placed sexually abused girls at considerable risk for low levels of trust, autonomy, and identity compared to non-abused girls and abused girls from low conflict homes. In addition, results showed that sexually abused girls were more likely to feel older and to have experienced early pubertal onset. Implications for conducting research and therapy with CSA survivors are discussed.