Abstract

This study examines the psychological and biological effects of sexual abuse on female children and adolescents. Subjects are 90 sexually abused females (6 to 15 years of age) and their mothers (or other non-abusing caretaker) and 90 demographically similar non-abused girls and their mothers. A cross-sequential design is employed and both cross-sectional and longitudinal data are collected at three yearly intervals. A multi-method approach to data collection includes Tanner staging of pubertal stage; assaying of blood hormonal levels; standardized tests and interviews of child and parent; observation of parent-child interaction; and records from schools, teachers and other agencies. The main hypotheses being tested are that (1) sexually abused girls will have a more difficult transition through puberty; (2) sexual abuse alters hormonal levels and affects the timing of puberty; and (3) that sexually abused girls will maintain higher levels of dissociation into adolescence.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH048330-02
Application #
3387876
Study Section
Criminal and Violent Behavior Research Review Committee (CVR)
Project Start
1991-09-30
Project End
1994-08-31
Budget Start
1992-09-30
Budget End
1993-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Southern California
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90089

  Publications

Kim, Kihyun; Trickett, Penelope K; Putnam, Frank W (2011) Attachment representations and anxiety: differential relationships among mothers of sexually abused and comparison girls. J Interpers Violence 26:498-521
Trickett, Penelope K; Noll, Jennie G; Putnam, Frank W (2011) The impact of sexual abuse on female development: lessons from a multigenerational, longitudinal research study. Dev Psychopathol 23:453-76
Shenk, Chad E; Noll, Jennie G; Putnam, Frank W et al. (2010) A prospective examination of the role of childhood sexual abuse and physiological asymmetry in the development of psychopathology. Child Abuse Negl 34:752-61
Negriff, Sonya; Noll, Jennie G; Shenk, Chad E et al. (2010) Associations between nonverbal behaviors and subsequent sexual attitudes and behaviors of sexually abused and comparison girls. Child Maltreat 15:180-9
Kim, Kihyun; Trickett, Penelope K; Putnam, Frank W (2010) Childhood experiences of sexual abuse and later parenting practices among non-offending mothers of sexually abused and comparison girls. Child Abuse Negl 34:610-22
Trickett, Penelope K; Noll, Jennie G; Susman, Elizabeth J et al. (2010) Attenuation of cortisol across development for victims of sexual abuse. Dev Psychopathol 22:165-75
Noll, Jennie G; Shenk, Chad E; Yeh, Michele T et al. (2010) Receptive language and educational attainment for sexually abused females. Pediatrics 126:e615-22
Barnes, Jaclyn E; Noll, Jennie G; Putnam, Frank W et al. (2009) Sexual and physical revictimization among victims of severe childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl 33:412-20
Noll, Jennie G; Schulkin, Jay; Trickett, Penelope K et al. (2007) Differential pathways to preterm delivery for sexually abused and comparison women. J Pediatr Psychol 32:1238-48
Bonanno, George A; Colak, Deniz M; Keltner, Dacher et al. (2007) Context matters: the benefits and costs of expressing positive emotion among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Emotion 7:824-37

Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications