Candidate: Janine M. Schroeder

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: Sexual Victimization: An Examination of Variables Predicting Psychological Adjustment

Committee: Dr. Lester W. Wright, Jr., Chair
Dr. Galen J. Alessi
Dr. Elaine L. Phillips
Dr. Roberto Flachier

Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2005 2:45 p.m.- 4:45 p.m.
3713 Wood Hall

Abstract: A survey was conducted with a community sample of 208 women from the midwestern United States. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures that assessed childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual victimization, characteristics of the abuse experience, methods of coping, current PTSD symptomatology, and psychological distress. One of the primary goals of the study was to ascertain factors predicting and differences related to, psychological distress among victims and nonvictims. One-way analysis of variance procedures revealed that victims were significantly more distressed than nonvictims; revictimized women and multiple victims were significantly more distressed than nonvictims; revictimized women were significantly more distressed than single victims; differences between multiple and single victims and single victims and nonvictims did not achieve significance. Multivariate analysis of variance analyses indicated victims reported significantly more frequent use of disengagement coping strategies than nonvictims. More specifically, victims reported significantly more frequent use of emotion focused disengagement strategies than nonvictims. Multivariate analysis of variance procedures demonstrated (over) significant differences between type of stressor (abuse vs. nonabuse) and method of coping employed among victims of childhood sexual abuse and/or adult sexual assault. Specifically, engagement coping was utilized more often in response to non-abuse stressors and disengagement coping was used more frequently to deal with the aftermath of sexual victimization. Multiple regression analyses indicated that strategies utilized to cope with childhood sexual abuse accounted for unique variance in psychological distress, even after controlling for characteristics of the abuse experience and methods of coping with other types of stressors. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that psychological distress was predicted by disengagement methods of coping, a history of sexual victimization, characteristics of the abuse experience, and treatment history related to sexual abuse. An independent-samples t-test indicated a significant difference in levels of distress between victims of childhood sexual abuse who experienced an abusive situation with a higher degree of threat and/or force utilized compared to victims who suffered a lower degree of force. Independent-samples t-tests indicated no significant differences in distress levels for victims: whose abuse started at a younger versus older age, whose abuse lasted a shorter versus longer period of time, who experienced lower versus higher frequency of incidents, who experienced lower versus higher levels of sexual activity, and whose abuse was perpetrated by a parent or parent figure versus other relatives, strangers, friends/acquaintances. Finally, multivariate analysis of variance analyses demonstrated that victims' distress levels did not differ significantly when considering treatment-seeking behavior in general; however, differences were apparent when examining treatment seeking related to the abuse. More specifically, those who had received treatment for abuse were significantly more distressed than victims who had not received treatment for abuse. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

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