TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual trauma and personality
T2 - Developmental vulnerability and additive effects
AU - Wonderlich, Stephen A.
AU - Crosby, Ross D.
AU - Mitchell, James E.
AU - Thompson, Kevin
AU - Smyth, Joshua M.
AU - Redlin, Jennifer
AU - Jones-Paxton, Maisley
PY - 2001/12/1
Y1 - 2001/12/1
N2 - Two types of sexual trauma, sexual abuse in childhood and rape in adulthood, were investigated in terms of possible effects on personality. Four groups of participants were studied: women who had experienced sexual abuse in childhood, women who had experienced rape as adults, women who had experienced both of these sexual traumas, and a control group of women who had experienced no sexual trauma. Personality functioning was assessed using the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology. Groups who had experienced childhood sexual abuse displayed the highest degree of personality disturbance; however, the additive effects of repeated sexual trauma were limited. These findings may reflect the outcome of specific adversity in childhood on the psychobiological constructs underlying personality.
AB - Two types of sexual trauma, sexual abuse in childhood and rape in adulthood, were investigated in terms of possible effects on personality. Four groups of participants were studied: women who had experienced sexual abuse in childhood, women who had experienced rape as adults, women who had experienced both of these sexual traumas, and a control group of women who had experienced no sexual trauma. Personality functioning was assessed using the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology. Groups who had experienced childhood sexual abuse displayed the highest degree of personality disturbance; however, the additive effects of repeated sexual trauma were limited. These findings may reflect the outcome of specific adversity in childhood on the psychobiological constructs underlying personality.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035657417&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035657417&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1521/pedi.15.6.496.19193
DO - 10.1521/pedi.15.6.496.19193
M3 - Article
C2 - 11778391
AN - SCOPUS:0035657417
VL - 15
SP - 496
EP - 504
JO - Journal of Personality Disorders
JF - Journal of Personality Disorders
SN - 0885-579X
IS - 6
ER -