Abstract
A robust literature links childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to later substance use and sexual risk behavior; yet, relatively little empirical attention has been devoted to identifying the mechanisms linking CSA to risky behavior among youth, with even less work examining such processes in boys. With the aim of addressing this gap in the literature, the current study examined the indirect effect of childhood sexual abuse (CSA; from age 2 to 12) trajectory group on risky behavior at age 14 (alcohol use & sexual intercourse) via the intervening role of caregiver-reported internalizing and externalizing problems at age 12. Analyses were conducted with a subsample of youth (n = 657 sexual intercourse; n = 667 alcohol use) from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), a multisite prospective study of youth at risk for maltreatment. For boys and girls, there was an indirect effect from CSA to sexual intercourse through externalizing problems. The same pattern emerged for alcohol use, but only for girls. Findings did not support an indirect path through internalizing problems for either boys or girls for either outcome. Findings suggest more focal targets for prevention efforts aimed at maintaining the health and safety of maltreated boys and girls during the adolescent transition.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for the current secondary analyses was provided by a Mentored Public Health Research Scientist Development Award awarded to the first author from the CDC (K01PS000795-01).
Funding for the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) is provided by grants from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Children’s Bureau, Office of Child Abuse and Neglect Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and National Institutes of Health. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies.
We would like to acknowledge all the LONGSCAN principal investigators, coordinating center, and study staff. In addition, we would like to sincerely thank and recognize the families and participants of the LONGSCAN study for providing their time and valuable information.
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Jones, D.J., Lewis, T., Litrownik, A. et al. Linking Childhood Sexual Abuse and Early Adolescent Risk Behavior: The Intervening Role of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems. J Abnorm Child Psychol 41, 139–150 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9656-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9656-1