MASTERTHESISLENGTHSAMPLEThe Impact of Dissociative Symptomson Childhood Sexual Abuse and AdultVictimization DissertationLength.com
Abstract Adult females were gathered from two different sources. One is a collegecampus, and another is through an online survey recruitment website. Theywere recruited to participate in a study which examines the connectionbetween sexual abuse at childhood and adult victimization. The participantswere provided with questionnaires in order to evaluate their experiencesinvolving childhood sexual abuse, as well as adult victimization, includingdissociative symptoms. It was assumed that women who have reportedhistories of different sexual abuse in their childhood would also reportexperiencing pathological dissociation and further experiences ofvictimization in adulthood. A prediction was also done with which differentlevels of dissociation would connect the relationship between sexual abuseduring childhood and adult victimization. Structural equation modeling hasconfirmed the assumed mediating impact of dissociation regarding therelationship. DissertationLength.com
Statement of the Problem Sexual abuse during childhood has been identified as a potential riskfactor involving sexual revictimization during adulthood (Amara & Chung,2002). Studies have also shown that adult women who went through a historyof sexual abuse during adulthood are twice or thrice likely to be sexuallyassaulted during their adulthood compared to women who have notexperienced a history of such abuse. The current research examines the wayhow specific post-traumatic symptoms may further contribute towards puttinga person at an increased risk for becoming a victim once again. While there are studies that present symptoms related to Post-traumaticStress Disorder (PTSD), not all sexual abuse victims who are going throughPTSD go through the same process as adults. As there are various profiles ofsymptoms which are being possessed by PTSD sufferers, the questionremains as to whether only specific PTSD symptoms lead to advanced risks ofpotential revictimization. Specifically speaking, symptoms related todissociation have also been connected with prolonged sexual abuse, whilesymptoms of “re-experiencing” and hyperarousal have been associated withsingle episode traumatic events. Researchers have also found certainphysiological evidence involving two highly different reactions related totrauma in various neuroimaging studies. By discovering the different presentations on the symptoms associated withPTSD, and pinpointing the conditions in which specific symptoms may furtherlead to a much greater risk of sexual abuse and assault, we may have thecapacity to develop a better comprehensive model involving revictimization.As such, it would be worthwhile to determine specific factors which mayfurther increase some previous victims’ vulnerability to assaults in the future. DissertationLength.com
Review of Literature Childhood sexual abuse is a situation which covers a wide range ofinappropriate sexual conducts and behaviors which happen between a childvictim and an adult perpetrator. These behaviors may include but are not limitedto, having or attempting to engage in sexual intercourse, oral-genital contact,exposing the victim to pornography, touching of genitals, as well as using a childfor prostitution or pornography (Sy & Peters, 2004). Sexual abuse duringchildhood was not recognized as a huge issue until the earlier part of the 1970swhen problems related to rape and child abuse were introduced to the attentionof the public by those who are involved in child protection laws, as well as thefeminist movement at this time. According to the Incidence Study Involving Child Abuse (NIS – 5), an estimateof 130,000 children experienced sexual abuse in 2005, translating to about twochildren in every 1,000 within the United States alone (Summers & Brohns, 2012).It has been estimated that about 30 to 40% percent of girls and about 15% of boysare prone to experiencing some types of sexual abuse at childhood within theirlifetime. While sexual abuse during childhood consistently occurs across all socialand ethnic groups, there are other risk factors which have also been identified.Reports show that girls are more likely to become victims of sexually related abusecompared to boys, though boys are most likely underrepresented in the samples. This study aimed at clarifying different variables which make physical andsexual revictimization which are more likely to happen among individuals whohave experienced trauma in their childhood. The possible benefits of this kind ofresearch are determined as substantial. Studies have been performed in order toreveal explanations for the higher rate of revictimization among the survivors ofsexual abuse in their childhood. DissertationLength.com
ReferencesAmara, Y., & Chung, P. (2002). Sexual revictimization and its relationship with PTSD: an explorative study. Child Sexual Abuse Journal, 10(2), 45-54.Summers, G., & Brohns, Y. (2012). From children to adult victimization. A model involving prediction of sexual revictimization. Maltreatment among Children, 3(1), 12-23.Sy, W., & Peters, L. (2004). Child abuse, marriage, and sexual revictimization. Interpersonal Violence Journal, 34(2), 345-356. For more information on master thesis length, don't hesitate to visit our website! DissertationLength.com
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