Affective, Behavioral, and Social-Cognitive Dysregulation as Mechanisms for Sexual Abuse Revictimization

• Published in: Violence and victims Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 159 - 176
• Main Authors: Lutz-Zois, Catherine J., Roecker Phelps, Carolyn E., Reichle, Adam C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Publishing Company 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Alcohol Abuse; Antisocial Personality Disorder - epidemiology; Antisocial Personality Disorder - psychology; Attachment; Behavioral Sciences; Child abuse & neglect; Child Sexual Abuse; Childhood; College Students; Comorbidity; Counseling; Crime Victims - psychology; Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data; Female; Females; Humans; Marriage and Family Counselling; Midwestern United States; Mood Disorders - epidemiology; Mood Disorders - psychology; Personality; Policy, Social Justice, and Human Rights; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychology; Recurrence; Respect; Risk Factors; Self Concept; Sex crimes; Sexual Abuse; Social Adjustment; Social and Personality Psychology; Social Work; Spouse Abuse - psychology; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Studies; Young Adult; Midwestern United States; trust; alcohol problems; attachment style; sexual abuse revictimization; trauma symptoms
• ISSN: 0886-6708; 1945-7073
• DOI: 10.1891/0886-6708.26.2.159

Using a sample of 1,117 female college students, this study examined emotional, behavioral, and social-cognitive mechanisms of sexual abuse revictimization. It was hypothesized that numbing, alexithymia, alcohol problems, mistrust, and adult attachment dimensions would mediate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual abuse (ASA). Aside from the close adult attachment dimension, the results indicated that all of the hypothesized mediators were associated with CSA. However, only alcohol problems and mistrust met the necessary conditions of mediation. The results with respect to mistrust are especially unique in that it is one of the first empirical demonstrations of a social-cognitive mechanism for sexual abuse revictimization. Thus, these results enhance our understanding of interpersonal mediators of the relationship between CSA and ASA and provide a new direction for future research.