Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2011

Publication Source

Violence and Victims

Abstract

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.

Inclusive pages

159-176

ISBN/ISSN

0886-6708

Document Version

Postprint

Comments

Article available for download is the authors' accepted manuscript. Some differences may exist between the manuscript and the published version; as such, researchers wishing to quote directly from this resource are advised to consult the version of record.

Publisher

Springer

Volume

26

Issue

2

Peer Reviewed

yes

Keywords

alcohol problems, attachment style, sexual abuse revictimization, trauma symptoms, trust

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