Citation

Baril K, Tourigny M. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2016; 48(4): 266-277.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/cbs0000052

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify maternal factors associated with the intergenerational cycle of childhood sexual abuse among mothers in the general population. A group of 45 mothers who were victims of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and who have at least one child who was also sexually abused was compared to a group of 116 CSA victim mothers of children who had not been sexually abused before the age of 18. The groups were compared on CSA characteristics experienced, the presence of other maltreatment in childhood and different potential consequences of CSA in adulthood. Logistic regression analysis shows that the presence of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms, the fact of having suffered physical conjugal abuse in the past year and having been sexually abused for the first time before the age of 6 or in adolescence were predictors that the mothers were members of an intergenerational cycle group. The results of this study show that mothers involved in an intergenerational cycle are more likely to present consequences of their abuse, which are known to be familial risk factors of CSA. These results provide evidence in favour of early intervention with young victims of CSA to reduce the consequences of such abuse when those victims become mothers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Child Abuse; Mothers; Sexual Abuse; Transgenerational Patterns; Victimization