TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood maltreatment, psychological dysregulation, and risky sexual behaviors in female adolescents
AU - Noll, Jennie G.
AU - Haralson, Katherine J.
AU - Butler, Erica M.
AU - Shenk, Chad E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This article was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grant R01HD052533.
PY - 2011/8
Y1 - 2011/8
N2 - ObjectiveMaltreated female adolescents are at risk for engaging in sexual behaviors consistent with HIV infection and teen pregnancy. The current study applied a model positing the key role of psychological dysregulation in the development of adolescent females' sexual behavior.MethodsThe sample consisted of adolescent females aged 14-17 years who had experienced substantiated childhood maltreatment (n=275) and a demographically matched, non-maltreated comparison group (n=210).ResultsMultiple mediator analysis revealed that, when in company with a host of plausible mechanisms, sexual preoccupation mediated the relationship between psychological dysregulation and risky sexual behaviors.ConclusionMaltreated females may have difficulty regulating emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, which, when coupled with a propensity to entertain sexual thoughts and consume sexually explicit materials, may increase the likelihood that they act on sexual impulses and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
AB - ObjectiveMaltreated female adolescents are at risk for engaging in sexual behaviors consistent with HIV infection and teen pregnancy. The current study applied a model positing the key role of psychological dysregulation in the development of adolescent females' sexual behavior.MethodsThe sample consisted of adolescent females aged 14-17 years who had experienced substantiated childhood maltreatment (n=275) and a demographically matched, non-maltreated comparison group (n=210).ResultsMultiple mediator analysis revealed that, when in company with a host of plausible mechanisms, sexual preoccupation mediated the relationship between psychological dysregulation and risky sexual behaviors.ConclusionMaltreated females may have difficulty regulating emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, which, when coupled with a propensity to entertain sexual thoughts and consume sexually explicit materials, may increase the likelihood that they act on sexual impulses and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors.
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U2 - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsr003
DO - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsr003
M3 - Article
C2 - 21335615
AN - SCOPUS:80051706053
SN - 0146-8693
VL - 36
SP - 743
EP - 752
JO - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
JF - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
IS - 7
ER -