Citation

Wiederman MW, Sansone RA, Sansone LA. Violence Against Women 1999; 5(2): 155-163.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/107780129952004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Past research has demonstrated a relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent self-injurious behavior. However, this research typically has taken place in mental health settings, focused on childhood sexual or physical abuse, and has explored a limited number of self-injury variables (most commonly suicide attempts). Among 147 women in a primary care setting, the authors explored the relationship between five forms of childhood abuse or trauma and three types of bodily self-injury. In univariate analyses, all forms of abuse except physical neglect were related to an increased likelihood of bodily self-harm. In a logistic regression analysis, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing violence were uniquely related to an increased likelihood of bodily self-injury. The results suggest that the direct experience or observation of body violation may developmentally precede subsequent bodily self-injury in some individuals.

Language: en