Clinical researchers examining the long-term consequences of child
molestation have reported that female survivors of child sexual abuse
experience a higher risk of sexual assaults as adults. However, very
little literature has focused on the child and/or adult sexual
victimization of women from different ethnic or cultural
backgrounds. In examining the long-term consequences of child sexual
abuse, this investigation examined the rates of sexual revictimization
of women of color. A multiethnic (white, African-American, Latina, and
Asian-American) sample of 243 women, recruited and randomly selected
from a pool of volunteers from two community colleges, were
administered extensive clinical interviews. Nearly two thirds of the
women who reported rape as an adult had a history of child sexual
abuse while approximately one third of the non-victimized women had a
child sexual abuse history. Additionally, an examination of the rates
of adult rape within each ethnic group revealed differences between
the women with and without a history of child sexual
abuse. Significant differences (i.e., higher rates of rape associated
with a prior history of child sexual abuse) were found for white
women, African-American women, and Latinas, but not for Asian-American
women. The results of this investigation highlight the relationship
between child sexual abuse and adult rape and suggest the need for
researchers to take a broader cultural context in which to view sexual
victimization.