Variants of intrafamilial sexual abuse experience: Implications for short-and long-term development

This study examines short-and long-term maladaptive outcomes in a sample of sexually abused females and a comparison group. The sample consists of intrafamilial sexual abuse victims ages 6-16 years at entry into the study and a demographically similar comparison group. The outcomes examined included measures of behavior and psychological problems such as aggressive behavior, depression, dissociation, and low self-esteem; and measures at two time points, first at entry into the study (median age 11 years) and approximately 7 years later (median age 18 years). The specific questions being addressed were (a) whether subgroups or profiles, based on the specific characteristics of the sexual abuse experienced, can be identified in this sample of abused females; and (b) whether these profile groups predict different patterns of adverse short-or long-term outcomes.