Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Pathways From Child Sexual Abuse To Adolescent Sexual Problems: The Roles Of Sex-Specific Abuse Reactions And Externalizing Behaviors, Sarah Shair

Wayne State University Theses

Potential pathways from child sexual abuse (CSA) to later sexual problems were examined in a prospective longitudinal study of 121 ethnically diverse adolescents with confirmed cases of CSA. Participants were assessed at abuse discovery, when they were 7 to 15 years old, and again one and six years later. Initial sexually anxious abuse reactions predicted lower levels of subsequent sexual problems, while the persistence of eroticized reactions predicted higher levels. Externalizing behaviors immediately following abuse discovery were marginally significant predictors of later sexual problems. Abuse severity was not predictive of sexual problems. Overall, results from this study highlight the importance …