A retrospective analysis of shame, dissociation, and adult victimization in survivors of childhood sexual abuse

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and victimization in adulthood was studied using a sample of 548 university women, including 56 who reported childhood incidences of incestuous abuse, 98 who reported sexual abuse by a peer or a nonfamily member, and 394 who reported no childhood sexual abuse experiences. Possible mediating variables of shame and dissociation were investigated. Chi-square analyses showed that there was a statistically significant association between women who were abused in childhood and adult victimization. Logit regression analyses demonstrated that the odds of revictimization in adulthood were greater for women who were abused in childhood than for those who were not abused. Dissociation was not found to be a predictor of adult victimization, whereas shame was found to be a statistically significant predictor.