Heterogeneity in patterns of child sexual abuse, family functioning, and long-term adjustment

The present study examined the relationship between the family environment, childhood sexual abuse experiences, and long-term adjustment of women college students. Cluster analysis was used to classify 124 abuse survivors into eight groups based on aspects of their abusive experiences (3 intrafamilial and 5 extrafamilial clusters). Analysis of variance revealed a significant relationship between perceptions of family psychological health and severity of abuse for the most extreme patterns of abuse (i.e., most and least severe abuse), with more severe abuse associated with poor familial emotional health. Current psychological distress appeared to be related to certain aspects of the abusive situation, such as the use of threat or force and duration of abuse, rather than the overall severity of the abuse pattern. The diversity evident in these women's experiences of abuse and long-term adjustment supports the heterogeneity of the phenomenon of child sexual abuse and its consequences.