Emotional support and adjustment over a year’s time following sexual abuse discovery

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 2003-06, Vol.27 (6), p.641-661
• Main Authors: Rosenthal, Saul, Feiring, Candice, Taska, Lynn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adjustment; Adolescent; Adolescents; Age differences; Age Factors; Biological and medical sciences; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child sexual abuse; Depression - psychology; Emotional support; Emotions; Female; Followup studies; Friends - psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender differences; Humans; Illness and personality; Illness, stress and coping; Interviews as Topic; Male; Medical sciences; Multivariate Analysis; Parent-Child Relations; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Concept; Sex crimes; Sex Factors; Sexual Abuse; Sexually abused young people; Social Adjustment; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; United States; USA; Victimology
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2134(03)00104-2

Objective: This study investigated age and gender differences in perceived emotional support in children and adolescents who experienced sexual abuse from the time of discovery to 1 year later. Also examined were the relations among sources of support and adjustment and whether support explained resilience, defined as better adjustment over a year’s time. Method: One hundred and forty-seven sexually abused youth were interviewed at the time of discovery (T1) and 1 year later (T2). Information gathered included severity of the sexual abuse, satisfaction with support from caregivers, same-sex and other-sex friends, feelings of shame about the abuse, and attributional style. Youth adjustment was measured using reports from the youth themselves, caregivers, and teachers. Results: Children reported the most satisfaction with support from caregivers followed by friends whereas adolescents reported similar levels of support from friends and caregivers. Satisfaction with support was differentially related to adjustment. Youth who reported more satisfaction with caregiver support at T1, reported less depression, better self-esteem but more sexual anxiety 1 year later. More satisfaction with support from friends predicted lower self-esteem but less sexual anxiety. More satisfaction with initial caregiver support at T1 predicted better parent- and teacher-rated adjustment 1 year later, after controlling for initial adjustment. Conclusions: In general, initial caregiver emotional support at the time of abuse discovery predicted resilience in child and adolescent victims of sexual abuse. Findings suggested that treatment should include a focus on helping caregivers provide appropriate emotional support. Objectif: Cette recherche a voulu étudier comment le sexe et de l’âge influencent la façon dont les enfants et les adolescents perçoivent les appuis émotionnels suite à des agressions sexuelles. L’étude portait sur une période d’un an suivant l’agression. On a aussi examiné les liens entre les diverses sources d’appuis et la capacité des victimes de s’adapter à leur épreuve, et si ces appuis pouvaient expliquer leur capacité de résister à l’épreuve durant une période d’un an. Méthode: On a interviewé 147 jeunes victimes d’agressions sexuelles, au moment de l’agression, puis un an plus tard. Les données recueillies comprennent: la gravité de l’agression, le degré de satisfaction par rapport aux appuis fournis par les parents, les amis du même sexe ou du sexe opposé, les