NCJ Number
149334
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1994) Pages: 270-277
Date Published
1994
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A sample of 80 college women retrospectively reporting childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and a sample of 92 college women failing to report any history of abuse were examined to investigate patterns of family functioning in the the homes of CSA victims.
Abstract
Participants ranged in age from 17 to 29 years, and most were white and never married. When asked to identify sexual activities that occurred, 7.4 percent reported vaginal intercourse, 16 percent oral-genital contact, 38.3 genital fondling, and 12.3 percent kissing. Nearly 10 percent reported that the perpetrator watched them undress or engage in some sexual activity or indicated that the perpetrator exposed his or her genitals to them. Several questionnaires were administered in group sessions conducted by graduate psychology students. Using a typology based on the Family Environment Scale, women's families were classified by type. Results showed that victims and nonvictims were equally distributed across family types. More victims than nonvictims had been reared in disorganized families, and fewer victims than nonvictims had been raised in supportive families. No significant relationships were found between family functioning and abuse characteristics. The link between family type and risk of abuse is discussed. 15 references and 2 tables