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Psychology

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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Child sexual abuse

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Symptom Presentation Of Sexually Abused Youth: Associations With Abuse Attributions, Brittany Biles Jul 2020

Symptom Presentation Of Sexually Abused Youth: Associations With Abuse Attributions, Brittany Biles

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child sexual abuse (CSA) outcomes are heterogeneous. Some victims display a combination of externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression) and internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression), while others present with minimal symptoms (Domhardt, Munzer, Fegert, & Goldbeck, 2015). Among the factors that have been explored as relating to CSA outcomes are child characteristics (e.g., age; Dube et al., 2005), abuse-specific variables (e.g., abuse severity; Stroebel et al., 2012), and family variables (e.g., familial social support; Ryan, Kilmer, Cause, Watanabe, & Hoyt, 2000). Although much of the literature supports these factors as contributing to outcomes following CSA, conclusions have been inconsistent. Research has begun to …


Increasing Students’ And New Professionals’ Knowledge Of Child Sexual Abuse Outcomes: An Evaluation Of An Online Intervention, Kate Theimer Jun 2019

Increasing Students’ And New Professionals’ Knowledge Of Child Sexual Abuse Outcomes: An Evaluation Of An Online Intervention, Kate Theimer

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Following disclosure, support from professionals (e.g., mental health clinicians, social workers, health care providers, teachers) can help increase resiliency in youth who experience child sexual abuse (CSA). Particularly, those who respond compassionately and competently, believe and report the abuse, do not blame the victim, and increase the family’s protective factors are best suited to decrease negative outcomes. Yet, research shows that many professionals are not adequately prepared to support families due to insufficient knowledge and misinformed beliefs (Pelisoli, Herman, & Dell’Aglio, 2015). Moreover, few assessments measure knowledge specific to the aftermath of CSA and few interventions aim to increase professional …


Factors Associated With Return To A Child Advocacy Center For A Subsequent Sexual Abuse Allegation: A Longitudinal Analysis, Jessica Pogue Jun 2019

Factors Associated With Return To A Child Advocacy Center For A Subsequent Sexual Abuse Allegation: A Longitudinal Analysis, Jessica Pogue

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child sexual abuse is a widespread problem impacting substantial numbers of youth (Finkelhor, Shattuck, Turner, & Hamby, 2014). There are many factors that make telling someone about sexual abuse difficult for children, which can mean disclosures are delayed and children are at-risk longer. After initial victimization, there is increased risk for children to experience subsequent sexual abuse victimization (Pittenger, Pogue, & Hansen, 2018). Using the framework of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, the present study examined predictors to distinguish children who are at the highest risk of returning to a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) for a subsequent sexual abuse referral. It also …


Predicting Sexual Revictimization In Childhood And Adolescence: A Prospective Examination Using Ecological Systems Theory, Samantha L. Pittenger Jun 2016

Predicting Sexual Revictimization In Childhood And Adolescence: A Prospective Examination Using Ecological Systems Theory, Samantha L. Pittenger

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child sexual abuse is a prevalent problem in the United States and is associated with revictimization: a victimization episode perpetrated by a different individual and occurring subsequent to initial abuse experiences (Barnes, Noll, Putnam, & Trickett, 2009). While evidence shows that 20-39% of sexual abuse victims report revictimization within childhood or adolescence, much of the research to date has focused on its occurrence in adulthood. Thus, there is a limited understanding of the pathways to revictimization and its associated outcomes for youth. The present study examined predictors of sexual revictimization within childhood and adolescence using ecological theory, which includes individual, …


The Quality Of Spousal Social Support As A Moderator Of The Associations Between Child Maltreatment Severity And Adult Trauma Symptoms, Sarah E. Evans Jun 2010

The Quality Of Spousal Social Support As A Moderator Of The Associations Between Child Maltreatment Severity And Adult Trauma Symptoms, Sarah E. Evans

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child maltreatment has been linked to a myriad of long-term difficulties, including trauma symptomatology. However, not all victims experience long-term distress. Thus, a burgeoning area of research focuses on factors that may impede or facilitate resiliency to the psychological correlates of child maltreatment. Specifically, the severity of the abusive acts may be associated with greater long-term difficulties. To date, however, with the exception of child sexual abuse, few studies have examined the severity of maltreatment as a risk factor in the development of trauma symptoms. In contrast, social support has been theorized to contribute to resiliency following abuse. However, to …


Psychological And Support Characteristics Of Parents Of Child Sexual Abuse Victims: Relationship With Child Functioning And Treatment, Poonam Tavkar Jun 2010

Psychological And Support Characteristics Of Parents Of Child Sexual Abuse Victims: Relationship With Child Functioning And Treatment, Poonam Tavkar

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Child sexual abuse continues to be a prevalent and complex problem in today’s society as it poses serious and pervasive mental health risks to child victims and their non-offending parents. The main objectives of this study were (a) to elucidate the psychological symptoms and support needs of parents of child sexual abuse victims as they present to group treatment, (b) to examine changes in psychological symptoms and support needs and their relationship with child functioning over the course of a parallel group treatment, and (c) to examine the impact of these factors on completion of group treatment. Participants included 104 …


Multiple Determinants Of Sexualized Behavior In Middle Childhood: A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective, Natasha Elkovitch Jan 2010

Multiple Determinants Of Sexualized Behavior In Middle Childhood: A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective, Natasha Elkovitch

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In order to adequately and appropriately intervene with children exhibiting problematic sexual behaviors, a comprehensive understanding of etiology is imperative. Although sexually abused children are observed engaging in more problematic sexual behaviors than their normative or psychiatric counterparts, it is clear that such behaviors may be the result of factors other than, or in addition to, sexual abuse. The goal of the present study was utilize a developmental psychopathology perspective in broadening our understanding of mechanisms associated with the development of problematic sexual behaviors in childhood. Participants for the study include 1, 149 children (51.8% female) drawn from the Longitudinal …