The TAT stories of 38 sexually abused females between the ages of 5 and 18 years and a clinical group of 26 females with no recorded history of abuse were analyzed using the Object Relations and Social Cognitions TAT Scoring System (Westen et al., 1985). Subjects in the sexual abuse group showed significantly lower mean scores on a scale measuring affect-tone of relationship paradigms and on a scale measuring complexity of representations of people. In addition, pathological responses were given significantly more often by sexual abuse victims on the complexity of representations of people scale. Thus, sexually abused children showed more primitive and simple characterizations of people and more negative, punitive affect in their representations. Moreover, these results were independent of age, race, and intelligence. Group differences are discussed in terms of object relations development.

Sexual abuse of children has profound negative effects on psychological development. This study examined the effects of sexual abuse on object relations functioning by using the Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MAS, Urist, 1977) to score Rorschach protocols of 63 abused children and 60 non-abused clinical controls. The hypothesis that abused children would have less developed object relations than their non-abused counterparts was not supported. Neither was the hypothesis that children who experienced greater severity of sexual abuse would exhibit more malevolent object relations. The hypothesis that mean and modal MAS scores would be highly intercorrelated and interchangeable as research variables was supported. Comparisons of this sample to a normative sample are discussed.

No description available.

This study examined the perception of parental nurturance, the parental identification, and the sex-role orientation of women who had been sexually abused as children. Its purpose was to explore these aspects of a woman's relationship with her parents and the subsequent sex role development, as it relates to the presence or absence of sexual abuse in the relationship. Eighty women averaging 31 years of age volunteered to participate in the study. The women represented three distinct populations with respect to the question of sexual abuse. The first group reported never having been sexually abused (Nonabused). The second group reported having been sexually abused by their father or stepfather (Father Abused). The third group reported having been sexually abused by someone other than their father or stepfather (Other Abused). As predicted, perceived parental nurturance was significantly lower for members of the Father Abused group than for the remaining two groups. In addition, the Nonabused group reported the highest nurturance scores of the three groups. Contrary to expectation, there was no difference between the parent identification patterns of the three groups. Support was provided for the prediction that women who had been sexually abused by their fathers were more likely to express undifferentiated sex roles than androgynous ones. Women not abused by their fathers were more likely to express androgynous sex roles than undifferentiated ones. Limitations of the study and implications of the results were discussed.

Despite the growing recognition of the prevalence of domestic violence worldwide, there is an increasing number of women reporting abuse, and there are those who have died at the hands of their abusers. Many of these domestic violence situations involve children who grow up carrying the physical and/or emotional scars of abuse into adulthood, which also has negative implications for their social well-being. This study adopts a qualitative approach to analysing emerging themes relating to the experiences of eight adult participants (four men and four women) who have lived in domestically violent homes during their childhood. The study deals with definitions of abuse, the social, physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and psychological effects of abuse and identifies the social consequences of growing up in a violent home. With reference to the research interviews, it is the researcher’s finding that if there is violence in the home, children’s socialisation will be impaired. The results of the study support the hypothesis that the socialisation of adults and their ability to form healthy relationships are hindered by being exposed to domestic violence during childhood. In terms of the goals of intervention, the basic principle is that children need to be provided with a safe environment, appropriate discipline and a secure relationship with an attentive caregiver. The ultimate goal of intervention is to prevent further harm and promote recovery. Socio-educational goals include being taught to communicate and settle differences without the use of violence, to promote the development of well-adjusted social beings. / Educational Foundations / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

Personality patterns of sexually abused female adolescent runaways are compared to personality patterns of physically abused female adolescent runaways. Eighty-six female adolescents from 13 to 17 years of age completed a self report inventory to determine personality traits. To test the hypotheses of the study, a multivariate analysis of variance was conducted, followed with univariate tests to find differences on separate dependent measures. Results indicated that on the Jesness Inventory there may be a common personality pattern associated with abuse. Univariate tests yielded data which indicated that although there may be a general personality pattern for abused adolescents, there were significant differences between the physically and sexually abused adolescents on some personality variables. Results were evaluated taking into account the selective sample from which the population was drawn. Recommendations for future research included the use of projectives, a more comprehensive personality inventory, and selected demographics.

Despite the growing recognition of the prevalence of domestic violence worldwide, there is an increasing number of women reporting abuse, and there are those who have died at the hands of their abusers. Many of these domestic violence situations involve children who grow up carrying the physical and/or emotional scars of abuse into adulthood, which also has negative implications for their social well-being. This study adopts a qualitative approach to analysing emerging themes relating to the experiences of eight adult participants (four men and four women) who have lived in domestically violent homes during their childhood. The study deals with definitions of abuse, the social, physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural and psychological effects of abuse and identifies the social consequences of growing up in a violent home. With reference to the research interviews, it is the researcher’s finding that if there is violence in the home, children’s socialisation will be impaired. The results of the study support the hypothesis that the socialisation of adults and their ability to form healthy relationships are hindered by being exposed to domestic violence during childhood. In terms of the goals of intervention, the basic principle is that children need to be provided with a safe environment, appropriate discipline and a secure relationship with an attentive caregiver. The ultimate goal of intervention is to prevent further harm and promote recovery. Socio-educational goals include being taught to communicate and settle differences without the use of violence, to promote the development of well-adjusted social beings. / Educational Foundations / M. Ed. (Socio-Education)

When a child has been sexually abused, the non-offending parent and child may benefit from an intervention aimed at enhancing the parent child relationship. This mixed-methods study examined the process of child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) with non-offending parents of children who had been sexually abused. One purpose of the present study was to examine change in parent-child relationship, child behavior, and parent empathy of non-offending parents whose children have been sexually abused after participation in CPRT. A secondary purpose of this study was to explore subjective experiences of non-offending parents who participate in CPRT. Participants (N = 8) completed 11 weeks of CPRT in either Spanish speaking (n = 4) or English speaking (n = 4) groups. All participants completed pretest and posttest instruments including Child Behavior Checklist, Parenting Stress Index, and Measurement of Empathy in Adult-Child Interaction. Pretest and posttest means were reported but because of small sample size, only descriptive statistics are reported. Possible trends in pretest/posttest mean scores of the quantitative instruments are discussed. All participants also completed a post semi-structured interview to account for the experience of participants qualitatively. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed enhanced parent-child relationships, improved communication, greater acceptance, positive parental internal changes, positive behavioral changes in child, and positive changes in discipline.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to show principles of TAT card pull are applicable to object relations theory, and card pull effects are greater in subjects with greater impairments. Stories of physically abused and control child and adolescent subjects were evaluated on object relations scales of the SCORS (Westen et al., 1985). Scores varied systematically as a function of card stimulus characteristics. Analysis of scales assessing internalization of self supported stimulus inhibition interpretation while scales measuring views of others or individual affective experiences advanced stimulus pull explanation. Abused individuals' response patterns were similar to controls except on CR. Results of this study may increase TAT utility for evaluating object relations functioning by guiding card selection.