Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: Prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors

Finkelhor, David; Hotaling, Gerald T.; Lewis, I. A.; Smith, Christine

doi:10.1016/0145-2134(90)90077-7

Cited by 1,499 publications

(803 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…A lower rate of childhood sexual abuse (27%) was found in a national survey of adult civilian women. 26 Compared with recent studies of active-duty military women, the rate of childhood sexual victimization of our subjects (35%) was within the reported range (25-50%). 27,28 We found higher rates of childhood physical abuse (35%) compared with that reported in the general population (25%) by child protective services.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Health-related consequences of physical and sexual violence: women in the military

Sadler

Booth

Nielson

et al. 2000

Obstetrics &Amp; Gynecology

119

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Objectives: To identify differences in health-related quality of life among women veterans who were raped, physically assaulted (not in the context of rape or domestic violence), both, or neither during military service.Methods: We did a cross-sectional telephone survey of a national sample of 558 women veterans who served in Vietnam and subsequent eras of military service. A stratified survey design selected subjects according to era of service and location. The interview included socioeconomic information, lifetime violence history, the Women's Military Environment Survey to assess women's military experiences, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 to assess health-related quality of life.Results: Five hundred thirty-seven women completed the interview. Half (48%) experienced violence during military service, including rape (30%), physical assault (35%), or both (16%). Women who were raped or dually victimized were more likely to report chronic health problems, prescription medication use for emotional problems, failure to complete college, and annual incomes less than $25,000 (P < < < .05). Women who were physically assaulted or raped reported significantly lower health-related quality of life (P < < < .05). Those who had both traumas reported the most severe impairment, comparable to women with chronic illnesses.Conclusion: This study suggests that the sequelae of violence against women are an important public health concern. More than a decade after rape or physical assault during military service, women reported severely Violence against American women is surprisingly frequent. Estimates are that one in five women are raped by 21 years of age. 1 Although the incidence of first rape peaks in young women 12 to 17 years old, 2 more than 60,000 rapes of women over age 50 are reported annually. 3 Violence has been identified as a widespread occupational risk for women. Nonfatal assaults account for 42% of women's workplace injuries. 4 More women die from workplace violence than from job-related accidents. 5 Furthermore, the risk of workplace violence appears heightened in some occupations, such as military service. 6,7 Violence recently has gained attention as a women's health issue that has been neglected. 8 Clinical research has focused on the psychologic effects of sexual victimization with limited recognition of the health-related consequences. However, a growing body of literature indicates that sexual violence can have life-long medical repercussions. 9 World Bank economists estimated that sexual victimization accounts for almost 1 in every 5 health-years of life lost among young women (age 15-44 years). 10 One half of rape victims sustain vaginal or perineal trauma. 11 Fifteen percent of victims have significant vaginal tears and 1% require surgical repair of lacerations. 11 Thirty-nine percent of rape victims sustain nongenital injuries, over half of which require medical attention. 11,12 Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occur in up to 43% of victims. 13 Rape is associated with increased symp...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Health-related consequences of physical and sexual violence: women in the military

Sadler

Booth

Nielson

et al. 2000

Obstetrics &Amp; Gynecology

119

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“…51 However, no differences were found between men and women's rates of depressive disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders (other than PTSD) in both the current and previously published reports. 31,33 Additionally, research with community samples also shows higher rates of childhood sexual abuse in women than in men, [44][45][46] a difference not found in the current work. Moreover, Clark 42 reported multiple gender differences in the trait and temperament scales of the SNAP.…”

Section: Comparison To Findings With Other Populationsmentioning

confidence: 49%

“…[11][12][13][14]43 A finding of high rates of participant report of childhood abuse in men with BPD, comparable to that found in women with BPD, is consistent with other findings 29 that childhood abuse may be an important risk factor for the development of BPD in men, as well as in women. However, although the rates of reported childhood abuse found here is higher than that of the general population, [44][45][46] the high percentage of subjects who do not report childhood abuse support the notion that other etiological pathways exist for the development of BPD in both men and women. 47,48 The fact we found relatively few gender differences within our sample of BPD participants is consistent with previous findings in male BPD samples [26][27][28][29][30] identifying similar characteristics to those identified in female BPD samples.…”

Section: Comparison To Other Findings With Bpd Samplesmentioning

confidence: 51%

Gender differences in borderline personality disorder: findings from the collaborative longitudinal personality disorders study

Johnson¹,

Shea²,

Yen³

et al. 2003

Comprehensive Psychiatry

188

116

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A majority of the literature on borderline personality disorder (BPD) focuses on its occurrence in women or does not specifically assess for gender differences in clinical presentations. Some studies report that men with BPD may be more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders, as well as paranoid, passiveaggressive, narcissistic, sadistic, and antisocial personality disorders (PDs). Additionally, women with BPD appear to be more likely to report histories of adult physical and sexual abuse and to meet diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders. The purpose of the present study was to further examine gender differences in BPD. Using baseline data from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS), men and women who met criteria for BPD were compared on current axis I and II disorders, BPD diagnostic criteria, childhood trauma histories, psychosocial functioning, temperament, and personality traits. Men with BPD were more likely to present with substance use disorders, and with schizotypal, narcissistic, and antisocial PDs, while women with BPD were more likely to present with PTSD, eating disorders, and the BPD criterion of identity disturbance. Generally speaking, women and men with BPD displayed more similarities than differences in clinical presentations. The differences that did emerge are consistent with those found in epidemiological studies of psychopathology and therefore do not appear unique to BPD. Additionally, many gender differences traditionally found in epidemiological samples did not emerge in BPD subjects. For example, no difference was found in rates of major depressive disorder, a condition that is more prevalent in females. Thus, BPD pathology may be a prevailing characterization that can attenuate usual gender-based distinctions. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. B ORDERLINE personality disorder (BPD) isassociated with significant morbidity and frequent use of mental health resources. 1-3 Studies cite BPD rates of approximately 0.4% to 1.8% among community samples, 4-7 and 10% to 25% among clinical samples. 8,9 BPD is more often diagnosed in women, with estimates that approximately two thirds to three quarters of those diagnosed with BPD are women. 6,9-12 Consequently, a majority of the literature on BPD focuses on its occurrence in women 13 or does not incorporate gender as a separate variable, therefore not addressing possible gender differences in clinical presentations. 14,15 Thus, little is known regarding potential gender differences in persons with BPD that may impact the manifestation, course, and treatment of BPD in both men and women.Although BPD is believed to occur more frequently in women, research findings on the prevalence of BPD in men and women are inconsistent. In some studies, when significant differences in rates of personality disorders (PD) are found, rates are usually higher among men. [16][17][18][19] One of the more methodologically sound community studies 7 found that men had higher rates...

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“…However, data concerning the rates of sexual victimization of boys (e.g., Finkelhor et al, 1990), coupled with the disproportionate lethality of child abuse inflicted by males versus females (Stiffman, Ewigman, Adams, Kruse, & Schnitzer, 1998), indicate the need for explorations of physical abuse potential among sexually victimized men as well. In comparison to women, men with a history of CSA appear more likely to externalize their abuse-related distress in the form of increased anger and aggression toward others (Lew, 1988;Urquiza & Crowley, 1986).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking childhood sexual abuse and abusive parenting: the mediating role of maternal anger

DiLillo

Tremblay

Peterson

2000

Child Abuse & Neglect

127

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Sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women: Prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors

Cited by 1,499 publications

References 7 publications

Health-related consequences of physical and sexual violence: women in the military

Health-related consequences of physical and sexual violence: women in the military

Gender differences in borderline personality disorder: findings from the collaborative longitudinal personality disorders study

Linking childhood sexual abuse and abusive parenting: the mediating role of maternal anger

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