Purpose: (1) To identify and compare rates of body mass index (BMI) [greater than or equal to] 85% (overweight/obesity) and BMI [greater than or equal to] 95% (obesity) in maltreated versus comparison young adolescents; (2) to determine whether demographic/psychological characteristics are related to high BMI; (3) to determine whether type of…

Assessment of psychopathology in a clinical sample of 30 women with histories of intrafamilial sexual victimization, 22 with extrafamilial sexual victimization, and 30 with no victimization revealed that the intrafamilial and extrafamilial abused groups differed from each other and that the psychological profiles of these 2 groups were…

A study of 80 adolescent females found that attachment style mediates the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) and child abuse and neglect on coping and psychological distress. The indirect effects of CSA and other abuse through attachment accounted for most of the effects on coping and psychological distress. (Author/CR)

A study of 259 women found those who report abuse in childhood dissociate more than nonabused women, although they do not experience more perceptual distortions. Duration of abuse, age of onset of abuse, number of perpetrators, and relationship of perpetrators to victim predicted difficulties in many aspects of reality testing. (Author/CR)

Objective: The aim of this study was to test a model predicting the contribution of abuse-related characteristics and mediating variables such as coping and attributional style in the development of psychological sequelae in adults reporting a history of child sexual abuse (CSA). Methodology: Two hundred and eighty-five males and females from…

This study investigated aggressive, withdrawn, and prosocial behavior in 21 physically abused, 26 nonabused-neglected, and 21 nonabused-nonneglected children, ages 5-8. No single dimension adequately discriminated children in each of the three groups. Full discrimination was achieved only when aggressive, withdrawn, and prosocial behaviors were…

It is argued that a Jean Piaget anecdote about an alleged memory implanted in a young child leading to both a visual and semantic memory that persists despite disconfirming evidence is entirely different than the recovered memory debate, which is about the alleged introduction of memories to grown adults. (CR)

The psychological effects of physical-emotional abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect were examined among 1,072 male and 305 female soldiers. Results found the females were three times more likely to have been sexually or both physically and sexually abused and that physical-emotional abuse contributed to most of the…

The validity of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory was tested with a sample of 40 child physical abusers and 40 nonabusers in Argentina. More than 97% of subjects were correctly classified as abusing or nonabusing individuals. The article is in Spanish. (CR)

A study of 36 British survivors of childhood abuse found participants described different types of abuse-memory experiences: continual knowledge (70%); unexpected abuse memories from a prior state of having no awareness of abuse (16.5%); and unexpected memories from a state of having partial prior awareness of abuse (30%). (Author/CR)

Young women (n=102) with bulimia nervosa were compared with 204 control subjects without an eating disorder and with 102 subjects with other psychiatric disorders. Results suggest that sexual and physical abuse are both risk factors for psychiatric disorders in general, including bulimia nervosa, but are not specific risk factors for bulimia. (DB)

A survey of 1,452 undergraduate students was used to examine the long-term psychological impact of witnessing interparental physical aggression during childhood. The 203 students who reported witnessing at least one such incident reported higher levels of current psychological distress. Negative effects increased when a parent of the same sex was…

Comparison of 19 adult females reporting childhood ritualistic sexual abuse with 27 adult females reporting sexual abuse without ritualism found that women reporting ritualistic abuse scored significantly higher on measures of childhood sexual and physical abuse severity. Neither posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic status nor PTSD…

A study of 97 adults found that 53 reported experiencing one or more types of trauma or abuse in childhood. As a group they scored more negatively than those reporting no abuse on measures of sleep dysfunction. Resilient characteristics were only related to measures of social-behavioral functioning, not well-being. (Author/CR)

The efficacy of outpatient, weekly group treatment for 30 girls, 9 through 12 years old, who were sexually abused was examined and compared to psychological status of 15 girls waiting to begin treatment. Two inventories were administered before treatment and approximately six months later. Treatment reduced the girls' perceived anxiety and…