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Gender and Sequelae of Child Versus Adult Onset of Sexual Victimization: Body Mass, Binge Eating, and Promiscuity
Author(s) -
CONLEY TERRI D.,
GARZA MEGAN R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00828.x
Subject(s) - promiscuity , psychology , developmental psychology , young adult , clinical psychology , psychoanalysis
This research investigated gender differences in and behavioral sequelae of adult vs. childhood sexual victimization among a group of undergraduates in a midwestern city. We administered a survey about sexual experiences, eating habits, and weight to individuals who were first victimized in childhood (< age 15); were first victimized in adulthood (> age 18); or had not been sexually victimized. We predicted that those victimized as children would have higher body weight and display more sexual activity than would those victimized as adults. We demonstrated that participants victimized in childhood had significantly higher body mass and weight than did nonvictims or those victimized in adulthood. Men sexually abused as children displayed more promiscuity than did men victimized in adulthood.