Adverse childhood experiences and sexual victimization in adulthood

Understanding the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sexual victimization (SV) in adulthood may provide important information about the level of risk for adult SV and sexual re-victimization among childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. In the present paper, we explore the relatio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child abuse & neglect Vol. 51; pp. 313 - 322
Main Authors: Ports, Katie A., Ford, Derek C., Merrick, Melissa T.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2016
Elsevier Science Ltd
Subjects:
ACEs
Adult
Adult sexual victimization
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology
Adults
Adverse childhood experiences
Adversity
California
Child
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology
Child sexual abuse
Childhood
Childhood experiences
Childhood factors
Connectedness
Crime Victims - psychology
Divorce - psychology
Female
Health maintenance organizations
HMOs
Humans
Male
Mental Disorders - psychology
Middle Aged
Nonviolence
Pediatrics
Physical Abuse - psychology
Psychiatry
Risk Factors
Sex crimes
Sexual re-victimization
Sexual violence
Survivor
Trauma
Traumatic life events
Victimization
Victims of Crime
Violence
Young Adult
Adult sexual victimization
Sexual re-victimization
Child sexual abuse
Adverse childhood experiences
ACEs
ISSN:0145-2134, 1873-7757, 1873-7757
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Understanding the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sexual victimization (SV) in adulthood may provide important information about the level of risk for adult SV and sexual re-victimization among childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. In the present paper, we explore the relationship between ACEs, including CSA, and SV in adulthood. Data from the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study were used to examine the effect of experiences of early adversity on adult SV. Adult HMO members (n=7,272) undergoing a routine health exam provided detailed information about ACEs that occurred at age 18 or younger and their experiences of SV in adulthood. Analyses revealed that as ACE score increased, so did risk of experiencing SV in adulthood. Each of the ACE variables was significantly associated with adult SV, with CSA being the strongest predictor of adult SV. In addition, for those who reported CSA, there was a cumulative increase in adult SV risk with each additional ACE experienced. As such, early adversity is a risk factor for adult SV. In particular, CSA is a significant risk factor for sexual re-victimization in adulthood, and additional early adversities experienced by CSA survivors may heighten adult SV risk above and beyond the risk associated with CSA alone. Given the interconnectedness among various experiences of early adversity, adult SV prevention actions must consider how other violence-related and non-violence-related traumatic experiences may exacerbate the risk conferred by CSA on subsequent victimization.
Bibliography:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Article-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0145-2134
1873-7757
1873-7757
DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.08.017