Post-traumatic stress disorder in previously abused male sex offenders

One hundred, primarily incarcerated, adult male sex offenders, were interviewed to determine the extent of their own experience of childhood sexual abuse and their incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also investigated were the roles played by various aspects of sexual abuse in the development of PTSD and other psychological disorders. Fifty seven percent of the sample reported having been sexually victimized. Findings regarding age when the abuse began, use of force and severity of body violation were consistent with previous studies. As was found in prior research, the majority of their abusers were known to them and were women. Abuse by men and having been anally penetrated were correlated with the development of PTSD. Also implicated in the development of PTSD and related symptomology was the use of force during the abuse, severity of bodily violation, and, inconsistently, duration of the abuse. Regression analysis revealed use of force, not telling about the abuse as a child, a closer relationship to one's perpetrator, and increased severity of body violation to be, in combination, most consistently predictive of PTSD development. In the sexually abused sample, 33% received a retrospective diagnosis of PTSD, while five percent were currently diagnosed. This contrasts with rates found in the non-sexually abused sample of 7% past diagnosis of PTSD and 2% current diagnosis of PTSD.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clinical Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Clinical Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Lane, Mary Kathleen

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Clum, George A. Jr.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Axsom, Danny K.
• Crawford, Helen J.
• Desiderato, Laurie
• Winett, Richard A.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-10132005-152543

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39835