Running head: OUTCOMES OF SEXUAL ABUSE VARY 1

Adult Sexual Outcomes of Children Sexual Abuse Vary According to Relationship Status

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy

Barb Gibbs

September 19, 2016

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Adult Sexual Outcomes of Children Sexual Abuse Vary According to Relationship Status

The article evaluated if the type of relationship status has an effect on adult sexual

outcomes after childhood sexual abuse. It looked at how sexual disturbances differ based on the

sexual relationship statuses of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as well as the factors

relating to the difference in behavior. The specific focus is on adult survivors who were sexually

abused as children. The study compared the severity of the sexual abuse to negative sexual

outcomes, specifically sexual avoidance and compulsivity. The types of relationships assessed in

the study consisted of adults who were; married, cohabitating and single. The study further broke

the research out to differentiate the behaviors separately of men and women, as well as a

comparison to age and length of relationship.

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The article clearly stated the issue of the negative sexual outcomes in adult survivors of

childhood sexual abuse. The article states other studies have shown that childhood sexual abuse

can produce a variety of long term negative sexual outcomes. These can include, but are not

limited to: sexual inhibitions, sexual avoidance and aversion, low desire, pelvic and/or vaginal

pain, compulsive or impulsive sexual behavior, sexual risk taking behaviors, as well as numerous

sexual partners. This study focused on how childhood sexual abuse could contribute to sexual

avoidance or compulsivity in adult survivor and if these effects varied based on their relationship

status.

According to the authors, The study was based on the clinical hypotheses that, in adult

survivors of child sexual abuse, symptoms of sexual disturbance would differ as a function of

survivors level of relationship commitment (Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016). More precisely, the

hypotheses was that child sexual abuse severity would be associated with higher sexual

compulsivity in single individuals, and higher sexual avoidance in married individuals

(Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016). It was also the goal of this study to determine if there was any gender

invariance relating to sexual disturbances. Key terms were defined in the article. Some of the

terms defined are sexual compulsivity, sexual avoidance, negative sexual outcomes, and

relationship status.

There are many sources which were used in this article to assist in providing the

necessary information to understand the purpose of this study. The sources used were scholarly

in nature and appear to be experts in the field. One such source would be the use of information

obtained from a study complied by The Journal of Sexual Medicine specific to how sexual

reactions of childhood sexual abuse are highly variable (Finkelhor, 1979). The references citied

in the article span from the 1979 (Finkelhor, Sexually victimized children) to 2015 (Gurman,
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Clinical handbook of couple therapy), with the majority of references being current from the 21st

century. The authors of the article were very efficient in providing sources to substantiate

information and statistics which were stated in the article, such as the use of the Journal of

Consulting and Clinical Psychology as well as Journal of Family Theory & Review. I found the

review of the information provided in the article was not too broad, nor too narrow. The

information provided in the review, not only supported the need for the study, but it also assisted

in providing background information for the problem being discussed in the article. It remained

on point by proving not only informative information such as the Sexual Compulsivity scale, but

the sexual reactions to childhood abuse, allowing the review to stay on track and relevant to the

study being discussed. I did not find the article to hold any bias opinions. The author only stated

factual information, for example in the descriptive analyses percentages.

There is little known about why it is some survivors exhibit sexual disturbances resulting

in compulsive sexual behavior, while others tend to develop sexual avoidance. The measures

used to determine the variables to be analyzed were relationship status, child sexual abuse

severity, sexual compulsivity and sexual avoidance. The relationship statues used were, married,

cohabitating and single.

The information for the study was obtained by the use of an online survey using a

combined measurement operation with triangulation. The survey was voluntary and the duration

of the survey was 45 minutes. The survey included a consent form participants signed

electronically. Participants recruited for the survey were French-speaking Canadian, from both

the general population and college students. The methods in which participants were recruited

for the survey were through messages on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, emails sent

to college students, posters at locations such as stores, coffee shops and support centers for
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victims of sexual abuse. Participants had to meet certain criteria to become part of the study.

One such requirement was that the participant had to have been sexually abused as a child under

the age of 16 by a person five or more years older than the participant.

The effects of past childhood sexual abuse In an adult has only been studied on one other

occasion, published in the Journal of child sexual abuse (Moreham, 2002). Recent studies

have shown the need to understand how child hood sexual abuse effects the sexual relationship

for couples, when one of the two have a history of childhood sexual abuse. Other research has

shown the prevalence of these sexual disturbances and the effects it has in a relationship. The

study tested a moderation model for the association between childhood sexual abuse severity and

negative sexual outcomes.

Four variables were used to analyze the data collected from the survey, by using ratio

levels of measurement. They included: relationship status, child sexual abuse severity, sexual

compulsivity and sexual avoidance. Relationship status was used to determine the level of

commitment. The following is how the relationships were coded in the study: participants who

were married were coded as married, cohabitating with a partner, but not married were coded

as cohabitating, participants who were dating, single, widowed, separated or divorced were

coded as single for the purpose of the study. Child sexual abuse severity, which was defined

as any sexual act, was a 10-item measure. Which included the severity and or frequency of the

sexual act. Sexual compulsivity was measured by the use of a Sexual Compulsivity Scale, also a

10-item measure, which included the participants inability to manage their sexual thoughts.

Sexual avoidance, also a 10-item measure, based on the Sexual Avoidance Subscale, measured a

participants avoidance of sexual situations.

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A pilot study was not conducted in this research. Purposive sampling was performed by

obtaining the participants sexual abuse severity. If the participant responded negatively or with a

zero to the 10-item measurement, they were coded as non-victims and not included in the study.

Only participants who selected a one or higher in the 10-item measurement were considered to

be a victim of childhood sexual abuse and were included in the study.

The results were analyzed using path analysis with child sexual abuse severity as the

predictor. The moderators were gender and relationship status. The control variables were

participants age and length of relationship. The outcome variables were sexual avoidance and

compulsivity. The data receive was quantitative as it indicates the number of adults survivors of

childhood sexual abuse who are experiencing sexual disturbances.

The findings of the study indicated the original hypothesis in adult survivors of child

sexual abuse, symptoms of sexual disturbance would differ as a function of survivors level of

relationship commitment (Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016, to be true. The findings of the study stated

our finding indicate, for a significant number of survivors, sexual avoidance and compulsivity

difficulties following child sexual above are more associated with relationship status than

gender (Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016).

The article discussed the weaknesses and problems associated with the subject matter of

the study. Since sexual orientation or socioeconomically status, or participants level of sexual

experience before marriage, were not evaluated, and thus, we could not further qualify the

association between child sexual abuse, relationships, and sexual out-comes (Vaillancourt-Morel,

2016). Due to the nature of the study, factors such as recall issues, over-reporting and

underreporting may have influenced the typical biases associated with such reporting.
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The conclusions of the study do relate to the original purpose. The objective was to

determine if in adult survivors of child sexual abuse, symptoms of sexual disturbance would

differ as a function of survivors level of relationship commitment (Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016).

The information gathered supported the original purpose of the study by confirming this

hypothesis and provided the necessary information detailing childhood sexual abuse was

positively associated with sexual compulsivity and avoidance. The type of relationship correlated

with the type of sexual disturbance among the participants. Void of the participants gender,

adult survivors were more likely to suffer from sexual avoidance in a committed relationship

when compared to sexual compulsivity in adult survivors who were single or in a non-committed

relationship.

The implications discussed in the article states although sexual compulsivity can be

observed in adult survivors of child sexual abuse who are not seriously committed in an intimate

relationship, the present study suggests that sexual avoidance may replace compulsivity for those

who are married or cohabitating long-term, potentially due to internal and external dynamics that

inhibit psychosexual intimacy (Vaillancourt-Morel, 2016). It further discusses, although an adult

survivor may initially have a normal sexual relationship when in a committed relationship, once

the honeymoon phase is over, the adult survivor may experience events which trigger abuse-

related feelings and pain resulting in the adult survivors experience of sexual avoidance in a

committed relationship.

The information obtained in this study can have a positive impact for clinicians working

directly with sexual disturbance of patients both in a committed relationship and those who are

single. This study also emphasized the importance of obtaining an accurate sexual abuse history

from the patient in a clinical setting. This information can aid in determining if the patient is
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suffering from a sexual disturbance which may be related to childhood sexual abuse. With clear

understanding of these sexual disturbances, this information is important to aid in assisting the

couple in realizing the root of the sexual disturbance in their relationship. It can help a couple

better understand why one partner, who initially was sexually active in the relationship, may now

show sexual avoidance.

I found the article to be informative and relevant to the nature of the study. It presented facts and

information necessary to understand the purpose of the study. The information collected was relevant to

the study. The information provided in the article did not stray from the topic of the article, it was on

point and completely relevant. It spoke of previous studies which were performed, supporting the purpose

for the hypothesis of this article. The study was done in a manner in which it maintained ethics and the

privacy and confidentially of the participants. The article stayed on track by only discussing subjects

relating to the study. There was no evidence of bias. The results of the study were a direct correlation of

the information obtained in the study, therefore all the information contained therein was related to the

subject.
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References

Vaillancourt-Morel, M., Godbout, N., Sabourin, S., Briere, J., Lussier, Y., & Runtz, M. (2016). ADULT

SEXUAL OUTCOMES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE VARY ACCORDING TO

RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 42(2), 341-356.

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12154