Childhood sexual abuse, stigmatization, internalizing symptoms, and the development of sexual difficulties and dating aggression.
Open accessAbstract
Potential pathways from childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to subsequent romantic intimacy problems were examined in a prospective longitudinal study of 160 ethnically diverse youth with confirmed CSA histories. Participants were interviewed at the time of abuse discovery, when they were 8-15 years of age, and again 1-6 years later. Stigmatization (abuse-specific shame and self-blame) and internalizing symptoms (posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms), more than abuse severity, explained which youth with CSA histories experienced more sexual difficulties and dating aggression. Stigmatization was found to operate as a predictive mechanism for subsequent sexual difficulties. Internalizing symptoms were not predictive of romantic intimacy problems, although they did show correlational relations with sexual difficulties and dating aggression. Early interventions such as trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy that target stigmatization may be important for preventing the development of sexual difficulties in CSA youth.
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Feiring et al. (2009) prospective longitudinal study found negative associations with sexual activities stemming from shame and self-blame associated with being abused predicted greater sexual difficulties 6 years later.
“negative associations with sexual activities stemming from the shame and self-blame associated with being abused predicted greater sexual difficulties 6 years later”
From Child Sexual Abuse as a Unique Risk Factor for the Development of Psychopathology: The Compounded Convergence of Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as Feiring et al. 2009
The Results (Predicting Intimacy Problems From Stigmatization) report that abuse-specific stigmatization about a year after abuse discovery predicted later sexual concerns and dysfunction; the Methods (Participants) place the final assessment about six years after discovery. The Discussion links shame and self-blame to negative sexual self-views, but treats those views as a possible explanation, not as a measured predictor. Thus the longitudinal finding is supported, but the claim overstates what was shown about negative associations with sexual activities. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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- Authors
- Feiring, C., Simon, V. A., & Cleland, C. M.
- Affiliations
- The College of New Jersey (US)
- Wayne State University (US)
- National Development and Research Institutes (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
- Published
- 2009-02
- Volume
- 77
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 127-137
- ISSN
- 0022-006X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2117
- PMC
- PMC5593753
- OpenAlex
- W2057054120
- Cited by
- 142
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 11.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH49885)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Military, Security, and Education Studies
- Keywords
- child sexual abuse, stigmatization, shame, self-blame, internalizing problems, post-traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, sexual dysfunction, dating aggression, abuse severity, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, youth
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Aggression, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sexual Behavior, Stereotyping, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
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