Women who are sexually abused are at increased risk for having
mental health problems long after the abuse. Other nonexploitive
experiences can also be psychologically detrimental, may coexist with
sexual abuse, and may explain some portion of subsequent mental health
problems. This study addresses the association between childhood
sexual abuse and a woman's psychological functioning, independent of
the quality of parental nurturance received during childhood and other
variables which may influence mental health. Of 609 women completing
mental health and self-concept measures, 98 reported sexual abuse; 110
of the remaining women were selected as comparisons. Women sexually
abused as children scored lower on measures of mental health
status. Both sexual abuse and fewer years of education were related to
lower scores on a psychological well-being scale after variance
accounted for by family and demographic variables was removed. Sexual
abuse was not a predictor of general self-concept scores after the
removal of family and demographic variables, but sexual abuse was
independently associated with the subscale measuring the physical
aspect of self-concept. These findings lend support to theorized
causal links between child sexual abuse and some aspects of later
psychological difficulties.