Sexual abuse is associated with a host of negative repercussions in adolescence. Yet, the possible mechanisms linking sexual abuse and negative outcomes are understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-blame, shame, coping strategies, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The sample included 147 sexually abused adolescent girls between 14 and 18 years of age. A total of 66% of girls reached clinical score for PTSD and 53% reached clinical score for depressive symptoms. Close to half (46%) reported suicidal thoughts in the past three months. Shame was found to partially mediate the relationship between self-blame and PTSD. Shame and depressive symptoms were also found to partially mediate the relationship between self-blame and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that shame is a crucial target in interventions designed for sexually abused adolescent girls. KeywordsChild sexual abuse; attributions; stigma; coping strategies; depression; self-blame The consequences associated with child sexual abuse (CSA) have been studied for more than three decades now. The bulk of studies have shown more depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation (Hillberg, Hamilton-Giachritsis, & Dixon, 2011;Maniglio, 2009;Paolucci, Genuis, & Violato, 2001) among CSA victims than among the general population, especially during adolescence (Kendall-Tackett, Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993;Tyler, 2002). A recent review revealed a significant association between CSA and suicidal ideation or attempts in 49 out of 52 studies conducted with adolescents (Miller, Esposito-Smythers, Weismoore, & Renshaw, 2013). The risk for CSA increases substantially in late adolescence for girls with 36.8% of CSA occurring between their 15th and 17th birthday (Finkelhor, Shattuck, Turner, & Hamby, 2014 CIHR Author Manuscript CIHR Author Manuscript CIHR Author ManuscriptAccording to Whiffen and MacIntosh (2005), now that the association between CSA and emotional distress has been documented, research should focus on identifying the underlying mechanisms involved in this link. In their review of the literature, shame, selfblame, and avoidance coping strategies were identified as crucial factors related to a heightened risk of emotional distress among victims of CSA. Yet, few studies have explored the impact of these factors on outcomes in sexually abused adolescents. The aim of the present study was to further investigate self-blame, shame, and coping strategies among sexually abused adolescent girls and their impact on PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation by testing a mediational model. Self-blame and shameThe Traumagenic Dynamic of Stigmatization model proposed by Finkelhor and Browne (1985) was the first to emphasize the role of shame and self-blame in the symptomatology of sexually abused youth. According to these authors, the negative connotations surrounding sexual abuse (taboo, shame, guilt, blaming the victim) are communicated to th...

Depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation are among the most prevalent problems associated with sexual abuse. Based on the Traumagenic dynamic of stigmatization model, the aim of this study was to investigate whether self-blame, shame, and maladaptive coping strategies predicted posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among sexually abused adolescent girls using a longitudinal design. A total of 100 adolescent girls completed a series of questionnaires at the initial visit at the intervention center (T1) and 6 months later (T2). Path analysis reveals shame at T1 predicted posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms at T2 whereas self-blame at T1 predicted depressive symptoms at T2. Furthermore, avoidance coping at T1 and depressive symptoms at T2 predicted suicidal ideation at T2 and accounted for 54% of the variance. These findings suggest that interventions designed for sexually abused adolescent girls should target shame, self-blame, and avoidance coping to foster recovery in this vulnerable population.