Childhood Sexual Abuse And Identity Development: The Role Of Attachment And Self-Esteeem

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine how childhood sexual abuse (CSA) influences identity development along with attachment and self-esteem. The participants included 208 first-year female undergraduate students from Illinois State University.Students were afforded the opportunity to receive extra credit for their participation and could enter into a random prize drawing. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire, Dimensions of Identity Development Scale, and the Hot Topics Questionnaire which assesses history of CSA. Of the participants, 145 (69.7%) were in the non-abuse group and 63 (30.3%) were in the abuse group. Results indicated that CSA was related to higher levels of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and low levels of self-esteem compared to the non-abuse group. No difference was found between the abuse and non-abuse groups on levels of commitment making, identification with commitments, or ruminative exploration. Finally, poor attachment security and low levels of self-esteem were found to be related to lower levels of commitment making, identification with commitments, and higher levels of ruminative exploration.

Bruised but not Broken: Self-concept of Sexually Abused Female Children

“…the victimization has a presumed damage to the normal psychosocial processes responsible for the development of positive self-esteem, one of the components of selfconcept. Several studies show that victims of child sexual abuse have lower self-esteem than those who are not (Cantón-Cortés et al, 2012;Dukett, 2015;and Kim, Park & Park, 2017). In the study of Hall and Hall (2011), feelings of depression, guilt, shame and self-blame, eating disorders, somatic concerns, anxiety, dissociative patterns, repression, denial, sexual problems, and relationship problems are commonly reported by victims who have been sexually abused.…”

Cancer Victim Identity for Individuals with Histories of Cancer and Childhood Sexual Abuse

“…Developmental psychology research has suggested that: (1) the core of identity development occurs during childhood (Briere 1992; Josselson 1987; Lieblich et al 2004); (2) victimization during childhood, such as childhood sexual abuse, can profoundly and adversely affect identity development (Dukett 2015; Martsolf and Draucker 2008); and, (3) individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse can have identities characterized by victimization, where “the world and the self are viewed through the lens of the victimized child” (Philips and Daniluk 2004, p. 177). In light of this past work, it seemed possible that a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) could predispose individuals, when subsequently diagnosed with cancer as adults, to adopt a cancer victim identity.…”