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The Effect of Childhood Sexual Victimization on Women's Income

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Abstract

Numerous studies show that survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) suffer as adults from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug abuse, and other mental illnesses. As such, the effect of experiencing traumatic events during childhood including sexual abuse can be long lasting. The lasting effects of CSA may also have economic implications. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether a history of CSA affects women's wages and to examine whether such effects are a function of the severity of abuse.

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Notes

  1. The earnings regression included categorical variables for age instead of work experience, and a single education variable denoting whether the person completed college.

  2. The wage effects of CSA were examined for men despite the small sample size. The wage effects were consistently insignificant, but the results are not reported because such results are not conclusive. The insignificant results may indicate a lack of effect or may simply be due to the very small sample size of male CSA victims.

  3. Aggregations of the variables are necessary due to sample size considerations. The cell sizes for specific responses are often very small.

  4. We also explored using three groups with the non-intercourse category divided into oral sex and kissing/touching/other groups but the results were unaffected by the distinction.

  5. Reports of abuse may also be subject to bias. Prescott et al. [2000] found that individuals who are anxious or depressed are more likely to report past abuse. It is not that the abuse did not occur, but that others who were abused may not report abuse.

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Acknowledgements

We thank three referees and Solomon Polachek for very helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, 33612, FL, USA

    John Robst

  2. Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, One Crisis Center Plaza Tampa, 33613, FL

    Stacy Smith

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  1. John Robst
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Robst, J., Smith, S. The Effect of Childhood Sexual Victimization on Women's Income. Eastern Econ J 34, 27–40 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.eej.9050017

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