Abstract
To assess the self-concept and psychological profile associated with sexual abuse, 20 young female victims evaluated in a sexual abuse clinic completed the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire (OSIQ). The alleged assault was intrafamilial in 13 cases, lasting from several months to 10 years. Extrafamilial abuses were isolated events. Intercourse was alleged in 18 of the 20 instances. OSIQ group mean scores were in the poorly adjusted range for three scales, indicating serious problems with sexual attitudes, family relations, and feelings of inability to master the external environment. While the mean Overall Adjustment scale score was within normal limits, 10 girls had scores in the range indicating severe problems in adjustment; 7 were incest victims. Compared to nonsexually abused adolescent patients from a general adolescent clinic, sexually abused youth had significantly more problems with vocational/educational goals, psychopathology, and ability to master the environment (p<0.05). The self-concept problems identified in these sexually abused youth (a) are similar to those reported by women seeking psychiatric care long after their childhood sexual abuse occurred and (b) share some features reported among physically abused adolescents.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bach, C., and Anderson, S. (1980). Adolescent sexual abuse and assault.J. Curr. Adoles. Med. 2: 10–15.
Bender, L., and Blau, A. (1937). The reaction of children to sexual relations with adults.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 7: 500–518.
Bender, L., and Grugett, A. (1952). A followup report on children who had atypical sexual experience.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 22: 835–837.
Benward, J., and Densen-Gerber, J. (1975). Incest as a causitive factor in antisocial behavior: An exploratory study. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February.
Beyer, M., Jones, R., and Shearin, R. (1979). Runaways and homeless youth.J. Curr. Adoles. Med. 1: 23–29.
Block, J. (1971).Lives, Through Time, Bancroft Books, Berkeley, Calif.
Blos, P. (1961).On Adolescence, Free Press, New York.
Burgess, A., and Holmstrom, L. (1975). Sexual trauma of children and adolescents: pressure, sex, and secrecy.Nursing Clin. N. Am. 10: 551–563.
Burgess, A., and Holmstrom, L. (1979). Rape: sexual disruption and recovery.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 49: 648–657.
Burton, L. (1968).Vulnerable Children, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Downes, M., and Orr, D. (1980). Psychosocial adjustment of youth seen in an adolescent clinic.J. Adoles. Hlth Care 1: 179 (Abstract)
Engel, M. (1959). The stability of the self-concept in adolescence.J. Abnorm. Soc. Psychol. 58: 74–83.
Felice, M., Grant, J., Reynolds, B., Gold, S., Wyatt, M., and Heald, F. (1978). Followup observations of adolescent rape victims.Clin. Pediat. 17: 311–315.
Finkelhor, D. (1979).Sexually Victimized Children, Free Press, New York.
Frank, E., Turner, S., and Duffy, B. (1979). Depressive symptoms in rape victims.J. Affect. Disord. 1: 269–277.
Gagnon, J. (1965). Female child victims of sex offenses.Soc. Probl. 13: 176–192.
Greenberg, N. (1979). The epidemiology of childhood sexual abuse.Pediat. Ann. 8: 289–299.
Gross, (1979). Incestous rape: The cause in hysterical seizures in 4 adolescent girls.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 49: 704–708.
Henderson, J. (1972). Incest: A synthesis of data.Canad. Psychol. Assoc. J. 17: 299–313.
Herman, J., and Hirschman, L. (1977). Incest between fathers and daughters.Sciences October, pp. 4–7.
Hjorth, C., and Ostrov, E. (1982). The self-image of physically abused adolescents.J. Youth Adoles. 11: 71–76.
James, J., and Myerding, J. (1977). Early sexual experiences as a factor in prostitution.Arch. Sex. Behav. 7:31–42.
Kaufman, I., Peck, A., and Tagiuri, C. (1954). The family constellation and overt incestous relations between father and daughter.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 24: 266–277.
Kilpatrick, D., Veronen, L., and Resick, P. (1979). The aftermath of rape: Recent empirical findings.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 49: 658–669.
Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., and Martin, C. (1953a).Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, Saunders, Philadelphia.
Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W., and Martin, C. (1953b).Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, Saunders, Philadelphia.
Kovacs, M., and Beck, A. (1977). An empirical-clinical approach toward a definition of childhood depression. In Schutterbrandt, J. G., and Raskin, A. (eds.),Depression in Childhood: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Conceptual Models, Raven Press, New York.
Landis, J. (1956). Experiences of 500 children with adult sexual deviants.Psychol. Quart. 30(Suppl.): 91–109.
Lewis, M., and Sarrel, P. (1969). Psychological aspects of seduction, incest and rape in childhood.J. Am. Acad. Child Psychol. 8: 606–619.
Lustig, N., Dresser, J., Spellman, S., and Murray, T. (1966). Incest: A family group survival pattern.Arch. Gen. Psychol. 14: 31–40.
Masterson, J. (1967).The Psychiatric Dilemma of Adolescence, Little Brown, Boston.
Meiselman, K. (1978).Incest—A Psychological Study of Causes and Effects with Treatment Recommendations, Jossey Bass, San Francisco.
Offer, D., and Howard, K. (1972). An empirical analysis of the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire for Adolescents.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 27: 529, 533.
Offer, D., and Offer, J. B. (1975).From Teenage to Young Manhood: A Psychological Study, Basic Books, New York.
Offer, D., Ostrov, E., and Howard, K. (1977).The Offer Self-image Questionnaire for Adolescents: A manual, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, Chicago.
Offer, D., Ostrov, E., and Howard, K. (1981). The mental health professional's concept of the normal adolescent.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 38: 149–152.
Rosenberg, M. (1965).Society and the Adolescent Self-Image, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
Rosenfeld, A. (1979). Incidence of a history of incest among 18 female psychiatric patients.Am. J. Psychol. 136: 791–795.
Sloan, P., and Karpinsky, F. (1942). Affects of incest on participants.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 12: 666–673.
Swift, C. (1977). Sexual victimization of children, an urban mental health survey.Victimology 2: 322–327.
Tsai, M., Feldman-Summers, S., and Edgar, M. (1979). Childhood molestation: Variables related to differential impacts on psychosexual functioning in adult women.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 88: 407–417.
Vaillant, G. D., and McArthur, C. C. (1972). Nutural history of male psychological health.Psychiatry 4: 4–16 (Seminar)
Yorukoglu, A., and Kemph, J. (1966). Children not severely damaged by incest of the parent.J. Am. Acad. Child Psychol. 5: 111–124.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported in part by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (#7278) and the Indiana State Board of Health, Maternal and Child Health Division.
Received M.D. from Case Western Reserve University. Research interests are psychosocial effects of chronic illness on children and adolescents, compliance and cognitive developments.
Received M.D. from Georgetown University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Orr, D.P., Downes, M.C. Self-concept of adolescent sexual abuse victims. J Youth Adolescence 14, 401–410 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02138835
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02138835