The proposed project will provide a comprehensive theoretical explanation for the link between childhood sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy by testing the mediational role of five domains in a prospective, longitudinal data set.
The specific aims are to: 1. test the direct relationship between childhood sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy in a prospective study, 2. test the extent to which factors representing these five domains which are measured prior to the age at first pregnancy can mediate the direct relationship between childhood sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy. The hypothesized mediators include: a. social support -including satisfaction with and constellation of peer and non-peer social networks, supportive family environments, attachment with parents and peers, and utilization of social support; b. sexual attitudes and behaviors - including sexual permissive attitudes and sexual preoccupation, and sexual risk taking; c. risk behaviors - including behavior problems and delinquency; d. psychological adjustment - including DSM diagnoses and symptoms, global perceived competence, dissociative experiences, and PTSD diagnoses and symptoms; and e. - cognitive abilities including crystallized ability, fluid reasoning, and memory. 3. To examine the unique contribution of each domain in the prediction of teenage pregnancy.
