Research Article
The development of a measure of correlates of child sexual abuse: The traumatic sexualization survey
Abigail I. Matorin, Steven Jay Lynn,
Corresponding Author
Steven Jay Lynn
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701
State University of New York, Binghamton, New York
Department of Psychology, Box 6000, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000Search for more papers by this authorAbigail I. Matorin, Steven Jay Lynn,
Corresponding Author
Steven Jay Lynn
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701
State University of New York, Binghamton, New York
Department of Psychology, Box 6000, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The present research developed an instrument which assesses congitive and behavioral factors purportedly associated with child sexual abuse histories. Finkelhor and Browne's construct of traumatic sexualization served as a guide for item selection. The study resulted in a 38-item reliable measure consisting of four subscales: Avoidance and Fear of Sexual and Physical Intimacy, Thoughts About Sex, Role of Sex in Relationships, and Attraction/Interest and Sexuality. Construct validity was established using a variety of self-report instruments associated with the dimensions of traumatic sexualization Sexually abused women scored higher than nonabused women on three TSS factors. Physically abused women differed from nonabused women on only one factor. Sexually abused women did not score significantly higher than physically abused women on any factors.
References
- Beitchman, J. H., Zucker, K. J., Hood, J. E., daCosta, G. A., & Arkman, D. (1991). A review of the short-term effects of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 15, 537–556.
- Beitchman, J. H., Zucker, K. J., Hood, J. E., daCosta, G. A., Arkman, D., & Cassavia, E. (1992). A review of the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 16, 101–118
- Briere, J., & Runtz, M. (1990). Differential adult symptomatology associated with three types of child abuse history. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14, 357–364.
- Briere, J., & Runtz, M. (1988). Symptomatology associated with childhood sexual victimization in a nonclinical sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 12 (1), 51–59.
- Browne, A., & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research. Psychological Bulletin, 99 (1), 66–77.
-
Charmoli, M., &
Athelstan, G.
(1988).
Incest as related to sexual problems in women.
Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality,
1
(1),
53–66.
10.1300/J056v01n01_05 Google Scholar
- Courtois, C. A. (1988). Healing the incest wound. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
- Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349–354.
- Deblinger, E., McLeer, S. V., Atkins, M. S., Ralphe, D., & Foa, E. (1989). Posttraumatic stress in sexually abused, physically abused, and nonabused children. Child Abuse and Neglect, 13, 403–408.
- Derogatis, L. R. (1983). SCL-90-R: Administration, Scoring, and Procedures Manual-II. Baltimore: Clinical Psychometric Research.
- Derogatis, L. R. (1975). Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI). Baltimore: Clinical Psychometric Research.
- Derogatis, L. R., Lipman, R. S., & Covi, L. (1973). SCL-90: An outpatient psychiatric rating scale-preliminary report. Psycharmacy Bulletin, 9, 13–28.
- deYoung, M., (1982). Innocent seducer and innocently seduced? The role of the child incest victim. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 11 (1), 56–60.
- Finkelhor, D. (1993). Epidemiological factors in the clinical identification of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 17, 20–24.
- Finkelhor, D. (1988). The trauma of sexual abuse: Two models. In G. E. Wyatt & G. J. Powell (Eds.), Lasting effects of child sexual abuse (pp. 61–82). California: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Finkelhor, D. (1979). Sexually victimized children. New York: The Free Press.
- Finkelhor, D., & Browne, A. (1985). The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: A conceptualization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55 (4), 530–541.
- Gidycz, C. A., Hanson, K. A., & Layman, M. (1995). A prospective analysis of the relationship among sexual assault experiences. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 5–29.
- Gorcey, M., Santiago, J. M., & McCall-Perez, F. (1986). Psychological consequences for women sexually abused in childhood. Social Psychiatry, 21, 129–133.
- Green, L. B. (1993, August). Validation of a model of the consequences of sexual abuse. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Ontario.
-
Hazzard, A.
(1993).
Trauma-related beliefs as mediators of sexual abuse impact in adult women survivors: A pilot study.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse,
2
(3),
55–69.
10.1300/J070v02n03_04 Google Scholar
- Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218.
- Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39, 31–36.
- Kendall-Tackett, K. A., Williams, L. M., & Finkelhor, D. (1993). Impact of sexual abuse on children: A review and synthesis of recent empirical studies. Psychological Bulletin, 113 (1), 164–180.
- Kinzl, J. F., Traweger, C., & Biebl, W. (1995). Sexual dysfunctions: Relationship to childhood sexual abuse and early family experiences in a nonclinical sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19, 785–792.
- Kolko, D. J., Moser, R. N., & Weldy, S. R. (1988). Behavioral /Emational indicators of sexual abuse in child psychiatric inpatients: A controlled comparison with physical abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 12, 529–541.
- Langmade, C. J. (1983). The impact of pre- and postpubertal onset of incest experiences in adult women as measured by sex anxiety, sex guilt, sexual satisfaction and sexual behavior. Dissertation Abstracts International, 44, 917B.
- Matorin, A. I. (1998). Validation of the Traumatic Sexualization Survey on a clinical sample of adult women. Manuscript in progress, Ohio University, Athens.
- Mosher, D. L., & Cross, H. L. (1971). Sex guilt and premarital sexual experiences of college students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 36 (1), 27–32.
- National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (1992). Child maltreatment 1992. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Washington, D. C.
- Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychomtric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Patten, S. B., Gatz, Y. K., Jones, B., & Thomas, D. L. (1989). Posttraumatic stress disorder and the treatment of sexual abuse. Social Work, 34 (3), 197–203.
- Reynolds, W. M. (1982). Development of reliable and valid short forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 119–125.
- Simons, R. L., & Whitbeck, L. B. (1991). Sexual abuse as a precursor to prostitution and victimization among adolescent and homeless women. Journal of Family Issues, 12 (3), 361–379.
- Wyatt, G. E. (1988). The relationship between child sexual abuse and adolescent sexual functioning in Afro-American and White American women. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 528, 111–122.
- Zelikovsky, N. (1994). An examination of the correlates of physical and psychological abuse: Controlling for family environment. Unpublished manuscript, Ohio University, Athens.
