Current Search: Foster, Jennifer (x)
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- Title
- AN ANALYSIS OF TRAUMA NARRATIVES: PERCEPTIONS OF CHILDREN ON THE EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSE.
- Creator
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Foster, Jennifer, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Child sexual abuse (CSA) is estimated to affect 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys before the age of 18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005). Despite the prevalence of sexual abuse and frequent negative outcomes for child victims as well as adult survivors, little is known about CSA from the perspective of the child. To date, the vast majority of research has targeted adults. Studies conducted on children are mostly quantitative and have explored the effectiveness of various treatment...
Show moreChild sexual abuse (CSA) is estimated to affect 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys before the age of 18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005). Despite the prevalence of sexual abuse and frequent negative outcomes for child victims as well as adult survivors, little is known about CSA from the perspective of the child. To date, the vast majority of research has targeted adults. Studies conducted on children are mostly quantitative and have explored the effectiveness of various treatment interventions. To address the gap in the research literature, the present study investigated the perspectives of children on sexual abuse through thematic analysis of trauma narratives, which were written by children as a therapeutic intervention and described life prior to, during, and following sexual abuse. Analysis of 21 trauma narratives selected through purposive sampling revealed one meta-theme, which was titled Fear and Safety. Children's descriptions of past and current fears as well as concerns about their safety and the safety of others were evident throughout all sections of the narratives. Three themes also emerged from the analysis: (1) Memories of the Abuse, (2) The Disclosure and Subsequent Events, and (3) The Healing Journey. The first theme, Memories of the Abuse, included three subthemes: descriptions of the sexual abuse, details about the perpetrators, and children's thoughts and feelings about the abuse. The second theme, The Disclosure and Subsequent Events, included three subthemes: perceptions of the abuse disclosure, experiences during the investigation, and experiences with the justice system. The third theme, The Healing Journey, also resulted in three subthemes: experiences in counseling, how life had changed, and future hopes and dreams. The themes are discussed, and ramifications for prevention efforts, treatment of child victims of sexual abuse, and counselor preparation are explored. Additionally, implications of the present study for counselors and community members are delineated. Finally, recommendations are made for future research with child victims of sexual abuse.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003748, ucf:48788
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003748
- Title
- The Contribution of Adult Attachment Style on the Experience of Posttraumatic Growth Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.
- Creator
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Nelson, Kristina, Hagedorn, W. Bryce, Lambie, Glenn, Jones, Dayle, Xu, Lihua, Foster, Jennifer, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationship between adults' attachment styles and perceived impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) with their experience of posttraumatic growth. This investigation tested the theoretical model that adults' (N = 292) attachment styles as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Short Form ([ECR-S] Wei et al., 2007) and impact of childhood sexual abuse as measured by the Impact of Event Scale-revised ([IES-R]...
Show moreThe purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationship between adults' attachment styles and perceived impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) with their experience of posttraumatic growth. This investigation tested the theoretical model that adults' (N = 292) attachment styles as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Short Form ([ECR-S] Wei et al., 2007) and impact of childhood sexual abuse as measured by the Impact of Event Scale-revised ([IES-R] Weiss (&) Marmar, 1997) contributed to their experience of posttraumatic growth as measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory ([PTGI] Tedeschi (&) Calhoun, 1996). Specifically, this investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that adult survivors of CSA scoring in the insecure attachment range (i.e., avoidant or anxious) with higher levels of trauma would have lower levels of posttraumatic growth. In addition, this investigation examined the differences in relationship between adults' attachment styles, perceived impact of CSA, and posttraumatic growth based on their reported demographic information (e.g., age, race, and gender). The results of the structural equation model (SEM) analyses identified that trauma experienced by adult survivors of CSA contributed to 39% of the variance in the attachment style (p (<) .000; standardized coefficient = .63), and the mediating effect of attachment style contributed to 8% of the variance in the presence of PTG (p (<) .05; standardized coefficient -.31), while trauma showed to have no significant influence on the presence of PTG in this sample (p = .756). Implications of the findings from the study include insight (a) for counselors to better understand the experiences of adult survivors of CSA and areas to address in treatment; (b) for counselor educators to better prepare future counselors to work with adult survivors of CSA; and (c) insight into the instrument development of the ECR-S, IES-R, and PTGI.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006696, ucf:51919
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006696
