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ERIC Number: EJ724283
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Nov
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-2134
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Childhood Sexual Abuse, Social Support, and Psychological Outcomes: A Loss Framework
Murthi, Meera; Espelage, Dorothy L.
Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, v29 n11 p1215-1231 Nov 2005
Objective: The objectives of the study were: (a) to develop a scale to assess CSA-related loss among a college sample of CSA survivors (CSALM), (b) to examine the measure's convergent validity through associations among depression, alexithymia, coping, and social support, and (c) to test whether social support moderates the relation between multiple experiences of CSA and loss. Method: The study involved a survey methodology and included college-age women (n=116) reporting CSA experiences. Results: Based on the Sexual Victimization Questionnaire (SVQ; [Finkelhor, D. (1979). "Sexually victimized children." New York: The Free Press]), 90% of the sample reported CSA before age of 12, 12.3% (n=15) reported CSA before age 12 with an adult over 16, and 42.2% (n=49) reported CSA after age 12 with an adult. Exploratory Factor Analysis of the CSALM revealed a three-factor solution: (a) Loss of Optimism, (b) Loss of Self, and (c) Loss of Childhood. Convergent validity of several scales was evidenced through associations with depression, alexithymia, coping, and social support. Social support from family and friends was found to moderate the association between CSA experiences and loss dimensions. Conclusions: Findings provide preliminary psychometric support for the CSALM, a tool that will be useful in future investigations of loss among college-age CSA survivors. Findings also support using a loss framework to understand the current mental health of these survivors.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A