Conducted by:

1
A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties
of Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples

• Conducted by
• Rind, Bruce, Tromovitch, Philip, Bauserman,
  Robert
• Presented by
• Katie Hochella, Radford University

2
Purpose

• Find if CSA and adjustment correlated
• CSA and adjustment attributable to
• family environment
• Relationship between family environment and
  adjustment

3
Issues to Consider

• How CSA is measured
• Exhibitionism
• Fondling
• Oral Sex
• Intercourse
• How adjustment is measured
• Intensity
• Pervasiveness
• Causality
• Gender Equivalence

4
Definition of CSA

• Sexual interaction involving either physical
  contact or no contact (e.g. exhibitionism)
  between either a child or adolescent and someone
  significantly older, or between two peers who are
  children or adolescents when coercion is used.

5
Literature Review

• 1966-1995
• Methods
• Psyc LIT (1974-1995)
• Sociofile (1974-1995)
• PsycINFO (1967-1995)
• Dissertation Abstract International (up to 1995)
• ERIC (1966-1995)
• Reference Lists
• Unpublished masters theses and dissertations

6
Literature Review Contd

• Studies
• 191 articles were found
• 59 were useable
• These included 70 samples total
• Effect Sizes
• 15,824 participants
• 3,254 men (18 samples)
• 12,570 women (40 samples)
• No differentiation (1 study)
• Key Terms
• Adjustment or effect(s)
• College or undergraduates
• Sex Abuse or sexual abuse or child and adult and
  sexual

7
Studies to Include

• Qualitative and quantitative data
• Control group with no history of CSA
• Distinct CSA, no other types of abuse
• Described at least one of the 18 symptoms
• Sufficient data to compute effect sizes
• College students only
• If others included, must have been separated

8
Potential Moderators

• Duration
• Frequency
• Force
• Incest
• Penetration

9
Moderator Outcomes
10
18 Symptoms
11
Adjustment Measures

• Intensity
• Consent (Wanted vs. Unwanted)
• Pervasiveness
• View on encounter (, \, -)
• Causality
• Are symptom relations causal in nature or family
  related
• Gender
• Did CSA effect males and females differently

12
Gender Equivalence
13
Intensity
14
Pervasiveness
15
Causality
16
Interaction of Symptoms with Family
17
When controlling for CSA symptoms and family
issues
18
Conclusions
19
Critiques

• Some results were significant, but not largely so
• Falsely gives a harmless impression of CSA
• Years included in study
• Believe the Child campaign
• Population studied
• Definition of Abuse