Testing a multiple mediator model of the effect of childhood sexual abuse on adolescent sexual victimization

Rikke H Bramsen, Mathias Lasgaard, Mary P Koss, Mark Shevlin, Ask Elklit, Jytte Banner

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The present study modeled the direct relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent peer-to-peer sexual victimization (APSV) and the mediated effect via variables representing the number of sexual partners, sexual risk behavior, and signaling sexual boundaries. A cross-sectional study on the effect of CSA on APSV was conducted, utilizing a multiple mediator model. Mediated and direct effects in the model were estimated employing Mplus using bootstrapped percentile based confidence intervals to test for significance of mediated effects. The study employed 327 Danish female adolescents with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD = 0.5). The estimates from the mediational model indicated full mediation of the effect of CSA on APSV via number of sexual partners and sexual risk behavior. The current study suggests that the link between CSA and APSV was mediated by sexual behaviors specifically pertaining to situations of social peer interaction, rather than directly on prior experiences of sexual victimization. The present study identifies a modifiable target area for intervention to reduce adolescent sexual revictimization.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Volume83
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)47-54
Number of pages8
ISSN0002-9432
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Child
  • Child Abuse, Sexual
  • Crime Victims
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Denmark
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Peer Group
  • Questionnaires
  • Rape
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk-Taking
  • Sexual Behavior

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