NCJ Number
226475
Journal
Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 2009 Pages: 79-100
Date Published
March 2009
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether an absence of erotic arousal during the latency period identified by Freud (6-to-12 years old) is essential for children to attain healthy psychosexual development.
Abstract
The study found that exposure to sexually explicit material (SEM) during the latency period predicted adult use of SEM; and exposure to both SEM and sexual abuse during the latency period predicted adult sexual dysfunction. “Sexual dysfunction” is defined as “experiencing difficulty during any part of the sexual act--which includes lack of arousal, aversion, lack of desire, lack of orgasm, pain, and resolution--that hinders an individual or couple from experiencing pleasure from sexual relations.” These findings suggest that questions related to exposure to SEM may be essential to ask during history-taking and assessment. If SEM and sexual trauma are assessed at a high level, this may indicate the direction for therapy. Treatment would most likely include psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral intervention treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and related anxiety disorders. A convenience sample of 249 females and 110 males was recruited from a large western State university. The sample was administered the Sexual Adjustment and Sexual Experience Survey. One section of the survey measured childhood feelings, behaviors, and experiences related to intermittent or continued erotic disruption during early and latency developmental years. The second section of the survey measured adult feelings, behaviors, and experiences related to adult sexual dysfunctions and adult SEM use. Upon completing the survey, participants were provided a debriefing statement with additional resources and information about organizations that treat sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, and sexual trauma. 5 tables and 58 references