Adult survivors of abuse and neglect bibliography

This article investigated whether there is a relationship between childhood sexual, physical, emotional abuse and unexplained chest pain in adulthood. Eighty-seven adult participants from an earlier population study were studied for unexplained chest pain.

One of the aims of this research project was to develop a fuller understanding of the process of disclosure of child sexual abuse. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 men and women aged 25 to 70 years old, who had an early sexual experience at the age of 15 or under with someone of 18 or over. Narrative inquiry methodology was used and data was analysed using Rosenthal and Fischer-Rosenthal's (2004) process of data analysis. Disclosure can be concep tualised as a complex and life-long process, and most participants did not make a selective disclosure until adulthood. The findings extend Alaggia's (2004) model of disclosure to include the life stage and the person to whom the disclosure is being made. The main barriers to disclosure and possible gender differences are discussed. Family therapists need to manage the challenges inherent in disclosure of child sexual abuse at any age.

There is increasing evidence that childhood trauma is a risk factor for psychosis and that a history of childhood trauma worsens the course and outcome of psychosis in both symptomatic and functioning domains. This paper aims to provide readers with a brief overview of the research into the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis and directions for clinical interventions. It details seven of the highest quality studies in the area and concludes from these that there is evidence for a relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis. The development of interventions for people with psychosis who have experienced childhood trauma is in its infancy but has been based on evidence-based cognitive behavioural interventions in psychosis and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A formulation-based approach is described in this paper, along with a case study.

The Living Well service, based in Queensland, is dedicated to the provision of a supportive, accessible, respectful, service to men who have experienced child sexual abuse or sexual assault. Mary Stathopoulos, a Research Officer at ACSSA, interviewed Dr Gary Foster, the manager of Living Well, about his insights regarding barriers to disclosure for men, the difficulties faced by individual workers in the field, and the application of feminist principles in providing support for male victim/survivors of sexual assault.

This research project explored the ongoing process of constructing a narrative, following childhood sexual abuse. Twenty-two men and women aged 25-70 were interviewed about their childhood sexual experiences with adults using narrative inquiry methodology. These experiences occurred in different social and historical contexts, when the theoretical understandings and treatment of the issue of child sexual abuse were significantly different from the present. Many factors made disclosure even more difficult then than it is now including: respect for authority; rigid gender roles; the taboo surrounding sexual issues; lack of supportive adults; and lack of language to describe what was happening. Participants told four differing narratives about their experiences: narratives of silence; narratives of ongoing suffering; narratives of transformation; and narratives of transcendence. These narratives were examined in relation to the changing social and historical context and the current dominance of the victim and survivor paradigm in the child sexual abuse literature.

The relationship between childhood abuse and adult mental and physical health problems is well documented. Over the lifespan of victims of child abuse, social, psychological and biological consequences of abuse interact in complex ways. A biopsychosocial model is applied to the experiences of adult victims of child abuse to make sense of the complex and varied impacts of child abuse. The long-term difficulties experienced by adult victims of child abuse are discussed in relation to the neurobiological impacts of child abuse on the child's developing brain. The impact of child abuse on neuro-endocrine functioning and the structure of the brain, in particular on the amygdala, hippocampus, left hemisphere, and corpus callosum are explored. A number of implications for social work practice are outlined.

"Although homelessness is a serious social problem in the United States, there is little direct information about the actual experiences of violence, past and current, among homeless people. This volume, based on the Florida Four-City Study, brings together interview material from 737 women, including structured quantitative interviews as well as in-depth qualitative interviews. The authors investigate how many homeless women have experienced violence in their lives, either as children or as adults, and then examine factors associated with experiences of violence, the consequences of violence, and types of interactions of homeless people with the justice system. The volume concludes with pragmatic and compassionate policy recommendations."

The Forgotten Australians are survivors of the institutional care system that was the main form of out of home care in Australia until the 1970s. This booklet is designed to inform and assist health workers, social workers and service delivery organisations to recognise, support and respond to Forgotten Australians, many of whom suffer long term trauma because of their childhood experiences in orphanages or homes. This revised edition includes: who the Forgotten Australians are, where you will meet them, what they experienced, the long term impacts, and working with Forgotten Australians.

In April 2009, the Australian Government declared a 'zero tolerance' position on violence against women and children, and acknowledged that, 'The Laws must be strong enough to hold perpetrators to account and offer justice and safety for victims and their families'. Indeed, there is increasing emphasis on responding to the needs of victim/survivors of sexual assault within Australian criminal justice systems. This has been demonstrated through myriad procedural and substantive law reforms that have been introduced over the past 40 years. Nonetheless, research continues to demonstrate that prosecution and conviction rates for sexual offences are not increasing, and that criminal justice system procedures are distressing and traumatising for victim/survivors. Understanding what victim/survivors see as justice and what they consider to be fair procedures are key to developing procedures to meet their needs. Drawing on the narratives of 22 victim/survivors of sexual assault, this article identifies what justice means to these victim/survivors and discusses four key aspects that relate to their procedural justice needs - information, validation, voice and control. The article considers how these can be applied to system procedures to promote meaningful and worthwhile justice system responses for victim/survivors of sexual assault.

This article investigates the rate of suicide or accidental fatal drug overdose among adults who had been sexually abused as children. The authors conducted a historical cohort study linking the forensic medical records, from 1964 to 1995, for 2,759 children in Victoria who had been recorded as being sexually abused, with coronial records of deaths recorded from 1989 to 2008. This data was compared to the general population. The study found that victims of child sexual assault are at increased risk of suicide, most had had contact with the public mental health system, and half were recorded as being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The article discusses the findings and the implications for suicide prevention.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on public education media campaigns in the areas of childhood sexual abuse. In the article, the author reflects on the strategy of the recent 'Father of the Bride' media campaign, which was run in 2009 by the advocacy organisation Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA). The deliberately controversial campaign aimed to use shock tactics to address taboos and stigma surrounding the issues, and to generate discussion. The author considers her personal response to the advert, its intended aims, and concludes that there is a need for more research on strategies for effective social marketing for changing community attitudes.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on public education media campaigns in the areas of childhood sexual abuse. In the article, the author reviews the recent 'Father of the Bride' media campaign, which was run in 2009 by the advocacy organisation Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA). The deliberately controversial campaign aimed to use shock tactics to address taboos and stigma surrounding the issues, and to generate discussion. However, the author argues that instead the campaign sends the wrong message to child abuse victims and the general public, and could cause additional harm.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on public education media campaigns in the areas of childhood sexual abuse. Despite the increased media coverage of child abuse stories, there is little community awareness of the long-term impacts of childhood sexual abuse. In response, the advocacy organisation Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) developed a confronting media campaign to address the taboos and stigma surrounding the issues, and to generate discussion. This article describes the development and development of their controversial 'Father of the Bride' media campaign, which ran in 2009.

This journal issue features a discussion series focusing on public education media campaigns in the areas of childhood sexual abuse and sexual assault prevention. This editorial highlights the issues involved, and introduces the featured articles.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on ageing, dementia, and adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. In this interview, Jill Duncan, of CASA House in Melbourne, talks to Rhonda Pryor, who has been working as a manager of aged care services in Victoria for 12 years. Rhonda reflects on her experiences caring for elderly patients who disclose memories of childhood sexual assault.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on ageing, dementia, and adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. Adelle Williams is a training specialist in aged care with the company Communication Change Observation Respect and Dignity (CCORD). In this interview, she talks about the issue of dementia care and the recognition of triggered traumatic memories of childhood sexual assault. She also discusses the model she is developing to care more effectively for people with dementia who are experiencing traumatic memories of childhood sexual assault.

This article is part of a discussion series focusing on ageing, dementia, and adult survivors of childhood sexual assault. In the article, the author applies trauma theory to childhood sexual abuse, explaining how traumatic experiences are processed over the life-course, and their place in personal growth. Psychological injuries have a complex and life-long impact - changing the whole person - rather than something that can be resolved with initial care.

Exposure to child abuse and neglect can lead to a wide range of adverse consequences that can last a lifetime. The purpose of this Resource Sheet is to indicate the potential long-term effects of child abuse and neglect that may extend into adulthood.

Research with child and adult survivors of child abuse can be harrowing for the researchers. This article discusses some of the safety issues involved in this secondary emotional trauma, drawing on the literature as well as the authors' experiences with interview-based research. Topics include the impact of qualitative research on researchers; the relationship between researcher and participant; the issue of counsellor versus the objective researcher role; empathy and sensitivity to participant distress; and researcher vulnerabilities. The article conludes with reflections on the authors' experience with strategies for preventing secondary trauma, and their resultant chart of safety recommendations. This includes preparing for the research; setting up support networks; strategies for during the research interview; strategies for during data collection and analysis; and ensuring that the research has a positive outcome.

Sexual relations between children and adults is a highly controversial issue, and is usually framed as child sexual abuse. However, not all people regard their childhood sexual experiences as abusive or having an impact on their lives. Without detracting from the significant trauma of child abuse, this book seeks to explore divergent narratives of childhood sexual experiences, in particular to examine the factors leading to resilience in adversity or reduced perceptions of severity. The chapters look at the current literature on child sexual abuse and experiences, family and environmental protective and risk factors, the psychology of disclosure, coping mechanisms, gender differences, affect on sexuality, and the implications for therapy, and draws upon the narratives of adults who describe their perceptions - in childhood and adulthood - of their experiences. The outline of a ten week recovery programme is also included.

It can be argued that the well-substantiated relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult personality disorder (PD) symptoms may be confounded by comorbid symptoms of depression, anxiety or dysfunctional childhood family environments. Therefore, the current study was designed to test the hypothesis that retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment would still be significantly related to reports of more PD symptoms when statistically controlling for these factors. One hundred and seventy-eight non-clinical participants were divided into groups reporting childhood maltreatment (n = 54) or not (n = 124) according to scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Participants also completed questionnaires measuring current depression, anxiety, and PD symptoms as well as retrospective reports of their childhood environment. Results showed that individuals reporting childhood maltreatment reported more symptoms of PD than those not reporting childhood maltreatment, even when statistically controlling for depression, anxiety and retrospective reports of dysfunctional family environment. These findings underscore the relevance and independent contribution of childhood maltreatment to the development of PDs, with important implications for further research and clinical practice.

"Theories on the causal relationship between drug use and crime in Australian literature have often overlooked the influence of gender as a confounding variable. However, research indicates that pathways into drug use and crime differ for males and females. Using data from the Australian Institute of Criminology's Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program, this study explores the relationship between drug use, offending, mental health and experiences of child abuse among a sample of police detainees. Findings indicate that female detainees were more likely to use 'hard' drugs and to have been arrested for a property crime. The relationship between experiences of mental illness, drug use and arrest was also stronger for female detainees. The study also found a strong relationship, mediated by gender, between drug use, offending and prior experience of child abuse, with the relationship being stronger among female detainees. It is suggested that mental health care be considered as a measure to reduce recidivism, and that programs designed for male offenders may not be suitable for addressing women offenders' needs, which also tend to be more complex."--Author abstract.

147 Australian men who were sexually abused in childhood were examined to determine the relationship between their coping strategies and clinical diagnoses. The relationship between the time passed since the abuse and their psychological functioning was also examined. This sample of men and a sample of 1,231 men from the community had their clinical psychopathology compared. Both groups were given the 28 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ28) and the 60 item coping style inventory instrument (COPE). The study concluded that the men who were sexually abused in childhood were more likely to have clinical diagnoses and that their coping strategies have a significant effect on this outcome. An important coping strategy seems to be seeking practial social support, though the timing of this does not seem to be critical. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for practice such as the need for support services to help male victims develop practical approaches and intellectual reframing to enable them to see positive growth.

"Little research has been done on the needs of men who experienced child sexual abuse, particularly on survivors' own perspectives. Mental health charity, Health in Mind worked with CRFR on a Big Lottery funded project, to explore care and support needs of male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This briefing outlines the project's findings and recommendations."

As part of a larger investigation on the role of genes and the environment in the development of opioid dependence, this study examines whether childhood abuse is a risk factor for drug dependence. The study interviewed 967 opioid dependent adults from urban new South Wales, matched against a control group of 346 adults from a similarly socially disadvantaged background. The interviews looked at maltreatment during childhood, family environment, drug use and psychiatric history. The results of the study showed a substantial relationship between some forms of child maltreatment and opioid dependence. Opioid-dependent males had a higher prevalence of physical and emotional abuse, and opioid-dependent females were found to have a higher prevalence and severity of sexual abuse.

Recent research shows that not all assaults described in victimisation surveys are considered to be crimes by the victims. This paper investigates this issue and puts forward findings which have implications for the role surveys play in measuring crime. Using ABS 2005 Personal Safety Survey data, it examines the extent to which surveyed incidents of assault are perceived by victims to be criminal events, aspects of incidents that predict perceptions and any existing variations by sex. Findings show that male victims under 25 years of age are less likely to perceive assault victimisations as crimes, and women were less likely to perceive an event as criminal if the perpetrator is known to them. Incident severity increased the perceived criminality of an incident, but location was predictive of perceptions of criminality for male victims only. The study points to the potential for victimisation surveys to overestimate the extent of violent crime. It is suggested that approaches for reducing violence should acknowledge the importance of victim perceptions, as the way incidents are defined by individuals has a significant bearing on whether they are reported to police and come to the attention of the criminal justice system.

The objective of the study was to establish the impact of child sexual abuse on adult sexual behaviour over three age periods. Data was drawn from a longitudinal study from Dunedin New Zealand, using the 1972 and 1973 birth cohort. At the age of 26, information on child sexual abuse was sought, and at the ages of 21, 26 and 32 information on sexual behaviour and outcomes were examined. Comparisons for the period between 18-21, 21 to 26 and 26 to 32 were made. For abused women, there was an increased rate of sexual partners, unwanted pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections from age 18-21, with rates approaching those of non-abused over time. For men rates were not significantly elevated in the younger age period, but abused men seemed to carry increased risks into adulthood.

Using narrative inquiry methodology, this study explored how men and women constructed a sense of self through narrative following an early sexual experience with an adult. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 women and nine men, aged between 25 and 70, in New South Wales. The participants had all had an early sexual experience when they were 15 years or younger with someone 18 years or older. The co-constructed stories that emerged were examined through narrative analysis. This article presents participants' four evolving narratives of their experiences: narratives of silence, of ongoing suffering, of transformation, and of transcendence. It examines the gender differences between these narratives in the light of the literature relating to childhood sexual abuse, the victim and survivor discourses, and the social construction of gender.