Physical Abuse, Sexual Victimization, and Illicit Drug Use: Replication of a Structural Analysis Among a New Sample of High-Risk Youths

Abstract

Mounting evidence of serious adverse consequences of childhood physical and sexual abuse has important implications for public health officials and care providers. Given the potential impact on social policy of this area of inquiry, programmatic research is needed for the validation of theoretical models across populations and over time. This study, based on a sample of high-risk youths, replicates a structural model that specified the influence of child physical and sexual abuse on self-derogation and drug use. Results suggest that for male and female youths, physical abuse and sexual victimization had a direct effect on self-derogation and illicit drug use, and an indirect effect on drug use that was mediated by self-derogation. Moreover, structural coefficients for the model were found to be identical across gender. Subsequent analyses demonstrated the equivalence of the structural model of child physical and sexual abuse on drug use across two study cohorts. Implications for the identification and treatment of youths in high-risk groups are discussed.

A Comparison of Adaptive Strategies and Patterns of Victimization Among Homeless Adolescents and Adults

“…For example, our findings are similar to those of Dembo et al (1989;1992) who found that abusive family histories were related to drug use and self-reported delinquency among adolescents surveyed in a juvenile detention center. Similarly, among our sample of runaway adolescents, a history of abuse was strongly related to antisocial behaviors and deviant subsistence strategies on the streets.…”

Predictors of self‐reported sexually transmitted diseases among homeless and runaway adolescents

“…Spending time on the street or in unsupervised living arrangements may be viewed as an alternative solution to returning home. Coming from an abusive family background was also found to be associated with higher rates of substance use, which is consistent with previous research (Dembo et al, 1989;Garnefski & Arends, 1998;Harrison et al, 1997). With little support from adult caretakers, the use of alcohol and drugs may serve as a coping mechanism that helps these young people deal with the pain and suffering that many of them experienced as a result of early childhood abuse.…”

“…Adolescents who have experienced childhood abuse report high levels of substance use (Dembo et al, 1989;Garnefski & Arends, 1998;Harrison, Fulkerson, & Beebe, 1997). It is possible that the use of alcohol and drugs may deaden the pain that many of these adolescents experience as a result of the abuse.…”

The Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Later Sexual Victimization Among Female Homeless and Runaway Adolescents

“…Direct effects also were hypothesized for early sexual abuse on number of different sexual partners, sex trading, and alcohol and/or drug use (Arrows D). Numerous studies have linked abuse by parents or caretakers to numerous sexual part-ners (Bagley & Young, 1987), sex trading (Silbert & Pines, 1981;Weisberg, 1985;Widom & Kuhns, 1996), and substance use (Dembo et al, 1989). Finally, early sexual abuse was hypothesized to directly influence sexual victimization (Arrow E).…”