Date of Award
4-1992
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Malcolm Robertson
Second Advisor
Dr. Chris Koronakos
Third Advisor
Dr. Michele Burnette
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Ed Trembley
Abstract
This study compared certain personal characteristics and behaviors of sexually abused girls with those of matched controls. Experimental subjects were 49 girls, aged 6 to 16 years, who had been sexually abused by an older male family member. Fifty girls who had not experienced sexual abuse served as the comparison group, matched on the basis of age, race and socioeconomic status.
Demographic and psychological measures were completed by each research participant and her mother. Videotapes were made of an initial session in which each child met an unknown male tester.
This study hypothesized and affirmed that sexually abused girls appeared older, more personally attractive and more flirtatious than nonabused girls. Problem sexual behaviors were also reported to be higher for sexually abused subjects than for controls, as hypothesized. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, no significant differences in physical attractiveness or in pubertal development were found between the two groups of girls.
Finally, as was hypothesized, this study did find that flirtatiousness correlated with age in distinctively different patterns for the sexually abused girls and those girls who had not been abused.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Mausert-Mooney, Ruth, "Appeal and Vulnerability Patterns in Girl Victims of Incest" (1992). Dissertations. 1976.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1976