Social Support and Children's and Adolescents' Adaptation to Sexual Abuse

Limited research exists examining factors mitigating the negative effects of sexual abuse. This report, based on a sample of 154 participants, analyzes how social support helps explain variations in child and adolescent psychological distress at the time of sexual abuse discovery. Adolescents, compa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of interpersonal violence 1998-04, Vol.13 (2), p.240-260
Main Authors: FEIRING, CANDICE, TASKA, LYNN S., LEWIS, MICHAEL
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adjustment
Adjustment (to Environment)
Adolescents
Age Differences
Behavior Problems
Child abuse & neglect
Child development
Child psychology
Child Sexual Abuse
Children
Control Groups
Developmental Stages
Emotional Distress
Factors
Family Relations
Parent Child Relationship
Peer Relations
Peer Relationship
Psychological aspects
Psychological Distress
Sex crimes
Sexual Abuse
Sexually abused children
Sexually abused teenagers
Social networks
Social Support
Social Support Groups
Stress Variables
USA
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Summary:Limited research exists examining factors mitigating the negative effects of sexual abuse. This report, based on a sample of 154 participants, analyzes how social support helps explain variations in child and adolescent psychological distress at the time of sexual abuse discovery. Adolescents, compared to children, are less likely to feel supported by parents and other adult relatives, but are more likely to view friends as support resources. As expected, support from a parent is related to less psychological distress, while the use of primarily friends for support is related to increased adjustment difficulties. The findings indicate that developmental period and source of support are important to consider in understanding how support functions as a protective factor.
ISSN:0886-2605
1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/088626098013002005