The Effects of Child Sexual Abuse

Authors*

Stephanie J, Dallam
Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media

David H. Gleaves
Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media and Texas A&M University

Antonio Cepeda-Benito
Texas A&M University

Joyanna L. Silberg
Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media and Sheppard Pratt Health System

Helena C. Kraemer
Stanford University School of Medicine

David Spiegel
Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media and Stanford University School of Medicine

Psychological Bulletin Vol. 127, No.6, 715-733

Abstract

B. Rind, P. Tromovitch, and R. Bauserman (1998) examined the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by meta-analyzing studies of college students. The authors reported that

	effects "were neither pervasive nor typically intense" and that
	"men reacted much less negatively than women" (p. 22) and
	recommended value-neutral re-conceptualization of the CSA construct.

The current analysis revealed numerous problems in that study that minimized CSA-adjustment relations, including

	use of a healthy sample,
	an inclusive definition of CSA,
	failure to correct for statistical attenuation, and
	misreporting of original data.

Rind et al.'s study's main conclusions were not supported by the original data. As such, attempts to use their study to argue that an individual has not been harmed by sexual abuse constitute a serious misapplication of its findings.

* Editorial Note

Stephanie J. Dallam, Science Directorate, Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media, Bala Cynwyd. Pennsylvania;

David H. Gleaves, Science Directorate, Leadership Council for Mental Health. Justice, and the Media and Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University;

Antonio Cepeda-Benito, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University;

Joyanna L. Silberg, Science Directorate, Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media and Trauma Disorders Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore. Maryland;

Helena C. Kraemer, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine;

David Spiegel, Science Directorate, Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Stephanie J. Dallam. P.O. Box 258, Spring Hill, Kansas 60683. Electronic mail may be sent to sjd.scout@worldnet.an.net

Comment on

Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman (1998)

Authors*

Abstract

* Editorial Note