Three Independent Investigations on Disclosure of Childhood Sexual
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Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects 2007 Three independent investigations on disclosure of childhood sexual abuse and psychological functioning, family and community violence, and trauma and non-sexual crime Hillary Blythe Despres Smith College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Despres, Hillary Blythe, "Three independent investigations on disclosure of childhood sexual abuse and psychological functioning, family and community violence, and trauma and non-sexual crime" (2007). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/414 This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hillary Blythe Despres Three Independent Investigations on Disclosure of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Psychological Functioning, Family and Community Violence, and Trauma and Non-Sexual Crime ABSTRACT This thesis project contains three separate articles that are new areas of investigation in the juvenile sex-offending field. The data comes from 332 adjudicated juvenile sex offenders and 179 non-sex offending delinquents in six residential facilities in a Midwestern state who participated in an anonymous cross-sectional study. The first article is an exploratory study that investigates family reaction to disclosure of childhood sexual abuse among juvenile sex offenders and their subsequent psychological functioning. The findings suggest that negative reaction to disclosure of CSA impacts sex offending behavior, family environment and psychological functioning. The second article is a descriptive study that explores exposure to community and family violence among sex offenders and non-sex offending delinquents. Juvenile sex offenders were found to have high rates of exposure to community and family violence and had significantly more exposure to many of the community and family violence variables studied than non-sex offending delinquents. Family violence was also found to strongly predict the group membership of juvenile sex offenders (85%). The third article is a comparative study of traumatic experiences and engagement in non-sexual crime among juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offending delinquents. Juvenile sex offenders were found to engage more often in many different types of non-sexual crime than non-sex offending delinquents. Physical neglect was found to be the only predictor of engagement in non-sexual criminal behavior for both juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offending delinquents. Research and practice implications are discussed. THREE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS ON DISCLOSURE OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, AND TRAUMA AND NON-SEXUAL CRIME A project based upon an independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work. Hillary Blythe Despres Smith College School for Social Work Northampton, Massachusetts 01063 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project would not have been possible without the support of many individuals in which I am greatly indebted to. To my thesis advisor Dr. David L. Burton - thank you for your wisdom and encouragement. Your enthusiasm for teaching and research is motivational for those around you. You are an indispensable teacher and mentor and have made my Smith experience much more valuable. To my family, Mom, Dad, Bronwyn, and Maria Christina – thank you for your unwavering love, encouragement and support. I love you all! My most grateful acknowledgement is to my stepfather, Professor Harvey Kerpneck, who initially gave me the direction to embark on this astounding educational, professional and personal journey. I miss you and will never forget the profound influence you have had on my life! To all my close friends at Smith and at home – thank you for your friendship and all the wonderful things that go along with it. You were all a great support throughout the process of the thesis and the Smith experience. I will always hold so many wonderful memories of each of you! ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………… ii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………… iii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………….. v LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………. vii ARTICLE I. Juvenile sex offenders: Disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, family environment and psychological function I. ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………... 2 II. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………. 3 III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………… 10 IV. RESULTS……………………………………………………………. 14 V. DISCUSSION………………………………………………………... 17 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………… 25 II. Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents’ Exposure to Community and Family Violence I. ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………... 34 II. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………. 35 III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………… 42 IV. RESULTS……………………………………………………………. 45 V. DISCUSSION……………………………………………………….. 50 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………… 54 iii III. Traumatic experiences and non-sexual crime among juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offending delinquents I. ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………… 64 II. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….. 65 III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………… 71 IV. RESULTS…………………………………………………………….. 74 V. DISCUSSION………………………………………………………… 81 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………….. 86 iv LIST OF TABLES Table ……………………………………………………………………………… Page Article I 1. Frequency of Juvenile Sex Offenders Living Arrangements…………………. 10 2. Cronbach’s Alpha on MACI Sub Scales…………………………………….... 13 3. Intercorrelations between Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse, Home Environment And Sex Offending Behavior………………………………………………..... 18 4. Intercorrelations between Psychological Functioning (Alphabetized) and Responses to Disclosure of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Abusive Home Environment among Juvenile Sex Offenders………………………………….. 19 Article II 1. Comparisons of Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents Exposure to Violence…………………………………………………………. 47 2. Comparisons of Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents Exposure to Trauma Experiences…………………………………………….. 49 3. Summary of Logistic Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Sex Offending Status……………………………………………………………… 50 Article III 1. Cronbach’s Alpha on Elliot’s Delinquency Sub Scales………………………. 73 2. Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents Group Means of Self-Reported Non-Sexual Criminal Activity……………………………… 75 3. Differences on Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents Self-Reported Trauma Experiences on CTQ Scales…………………………... 77 v 4. Summary of Multiple Regression Analysis for Trauma Experiences Predicting Non-Sexual Crime: Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents……………………………………………………………………. 79 5. Summary of Multiple Regression Analysis for Trauma Experiences Predicting Non-Sexual Crime: Non-Sex Offending Delinquents………………………… 80 6. Summary of Multiple Regression Analysis for Trauma Experiences Predicting Non-Sexual Crime Total Score: Juvenile Sex Offenders……………………… 81 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure ………………………………………………………………………....... Page Article I 1. Frequency of Positive Reactions to Disclosure of CSA among Sexually Victimized Juvenile Sex Offenders…………………………………………. 15 2. Frequency of Negative Reactions to Disclosure of CSA among Sexually Victimized Juvenile Sex Offenders…………………………………………. 15 Article II 1. Comparison of Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non-Sex Offending Delinquents Exposure to Community and Family Violence…………………………....... 46 2. Exposure to Community Violence Group Means…………………………... 48 Article III 1. Non-Standardized Group Means among Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non- Sexual Delinquents Self-Reported Engagement in Non-Sexual Criminal Activity……………………………………………………………………… 76 2. Group Means on CTQ Scales among Juvenile Sex Offenders and Non- Sex Offending Delinquents Self-Reported Trauma Experiences…………… 78 vii Article I Juvenile Sex Offenders: Disclosure of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Family Environment and Psychological Functioning 1 Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between family reaction to disclosure of childhood sexual abuse, family functioning and subsequent psychological functioning of juvenile sexual offenders. A total of 332 adjudicated juvenile sex offenders in a Midwestern state participated in an anonymous cross-sectional study. Non-standardized questions were used to measure negative and positive family reactions to disclosure of sexual abuse, aversive family environment, and number of victims the youth perpetrated against. The Self Report Sexual Aggression Scale (SERSAS) was used to determine youth’s total force used when offending (Burton, Miller, & Shill, 2002). The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) (Millon, 1993) was used to assess psychological functioning. The results suggest that children who receive a negative reaction to disclosure of CSA are more likely to use force in their sex offending and are raised in aversive home environments that are disruptive, violent and engage in criminal activity. Juvenile sex offenders who received a negative reaction to their disclosure of CSA seemed more likely to be introverted, doleful, unruly, forceful, oppositional, self- demeaning, have identity diffusion and be exposed to more family discord and were less likely to be submissive and conforming. Whereas youth