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J. L. Martin

Bio: J. L. Martin is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Sexual abuse & Child abuse. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 7 publications receiving 691 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Those reporting CSA are more likely to suffer social, interpersonal and sexual difficulties in adult life and the disruption of intimate relationships by difficulties with trust as well as a propensity to perceive their partners as uncaring and overcontrolling.
Abstract: Background The association was examined between reporting child sexual abuse (CSA) and a range of social, interpersonal and sexual difficulties in adult life. Method A random sample of 2250 women were posted a questionnaire exploring a range of abuse experiences. All 248 reporting CSA were invited for interview, together with an equal number of controls. At interview a detailed inquiry was made into the CSA and into current interpersonal, social and sexual function. Results Significant associations emerged between reporting CSA and a decline in socioeconomic status, increased sexual problems, and the disruption of intimate relationships by difficulties with trust as well as a propensity to perceive their partners as uncaring and overcontrolling. CSA was more common in those from disturbed and disrupted families and in those who also reported physical and emotional abuse. This explained part, but not all, of the apparent association between CSA and negative outcomes. Conclusions Those reporting CSA are more likely to suffer social, interpersonal and sexual difficulties in adult life.

311 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Sexual abuse in childhood is associated with later incidents of deliberate self-harm and may well be an etiologic factor in its development.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the association between sexual abuse in childhood and subsequent incidents of deliberate self-harm in women. METHOD: A random community sample of women (N = 252) that reported having been sexually abused as children was interviewed and compared to a similarly sized group (N = 225) that did not report abuse. The subgroup of women sexually abused as children who reported subsequent incidents of deliberate self-harm was then contrasted with abused women who did not report self-harm. RESULTS: There was a clear statistical association between sexual abuse in childhood and self-harm that was most marked in those subjected to more intrusive and more frequent abuse. Self-harm was also associated with major interpersonal problems in the subject's family of origin and with becoming involved in further abusive relationships as an adult. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual abuse in childhood is associated with later incidents of deliberate self-harm and may well be an etiologic factor in its development. Language: en

198 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The study supported the prosaic notion that those who are satisfied with their romantic attachments are less prone to jealous suspicions, and a clear correlation emerged between lowered self-esteem and increased jealousy, which was particularly marked in women.
Abstract: This study represents the first attempt to study sexual jealousy in a random community sample. Jealousy was reported by all subjects. Men, when jealous, were particularly concerned about the potential loss of the partner, whereas women were more concerned with the effects of infidelity on the quality of the relationship. Behaviours such as searching the partner's belongings or inspecting their clothes for signs of sexual activity correlated with unusually intense jealousy. Men tended to cope with jealousy by using denial and avoidance, whereas women were more likely to express their distress and to try to make themselves more attractive to their erring partner. Greater jealousy concerns were expressed by young men who had either married early or were now living without a partner. Heavy drinkers and those reporting more psychiatric symptoms were also more prone to jealousy. A clear correlation emerged between lowered self-esteem and increased jealousy, which was particularly marked in women, for whom robust self-esteem was virtually incompatible with high jealousy concerns. The study supported the prosaic notion that those who are satisfied with their romantic attachments are less prone to jealous suspicions. This study offers a starting point for the clinician seeking information about the experience of jealousy in the community.

100 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Reporting childhood sexual abuse was associated with more immature coping styles, although not dissociation, in this community sample of women, andCoping styles are likely to be a major mechanism through which Childhood sexual abuse increases rates of later psychological problems.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The psychological defense styles of women who reported childhood sexual abuse were assessed and compared to those of women without childhood sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects in a random community sample (N=354) of New Zealand women were interviewed and completed two relevant questionnaires, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. RESULTS: Women reporting childhood sexual abuse showed more immature defense styles, and those who experienced the most severe childhood sexual abuse showed the most immature styles. Dissociation, however, as measured on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, was not linked to childhood sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting childhood sexual abuse was associated with more immature coping styles, although not dissociation, in this community sample of women. Coping styles are likely to be a major mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases rates of later psychological problems.

71 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: Adolescent pregnancy does not occur randomly in the community but was found in women who came from families with preexisting psychosocial problems, suggesting that preventive strategies aiming to reduce adolescent pregnancy should focus on measures which improve the general functioning of family units, in addition to providing good sexual information.
Abstract: This study analyzed cross-sectional data gathered via postal surveys and interviews in 1989 from the Otago Womens Health Child Sexual Abuse study to assess the relative roles of childhood sexual abuse and other adverse developmental factors on the incidence of adolescent pregnancy (before age 19). Interviews were conducted with 252 victims of childhood sexual abuse and 225 controls. The sexual abuse rate under age 16 was 32% with the most severe incidences experienced by 19.7% of the women. Corresponding figures under age 12 were 20.3% and 13.2%. Adolescent pregnancy occurred in 55 of the 477 interviewed women and the incidence was higher in women who reported childhood sexual abuse with a clear increase in pregnancy among those who reported the most severe forms of abuse. Of the 21 women who reported sexual assault at ages 16-18 38.1% experienced adolescent pregnancy versus only 10.3% of those who did not experience such assault. Adolescent pregnancy was also associated with the following family and psychosocial variables: living in a nonnuclear family or in a family characterized by frequent fighting being physically punished after age 12 and not having a confidante as a child. The child sexual abuse variable was confounded by these other characteristics and was only independently predictive of adolescent pregnancy when it took the form of intercourse. It is concluded therefore that adolescent pregnancy is not a random occurrence in this population but is related to the presence of psychosocial problems in families. Measures to reduce adolescent pregnancy should focus on improving the functioning of families as well as on providing good sex education.

21 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article examined the joint associations of 12 retrospectively reported CAs with the first onset of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication using substantively complex multivariate models.
Abstract: Context Although significant associations of childhood adversities (CAs) with adult mental disorders have been documented consistently in epidemiological surveys, these studies generally have examined only 1 CA per study. Because CAs are highly clustered, this approach results in overestimating the importance of individual CAs. Multivariate CA studies have been based on insufficiently complex models. Objective To examine the joint associations of 12 retrospectively reported CAs with the first onset of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication using substantively complex multivariate models. Design Cross-sectional community survey with retrospective reports of CAs and lifetime DSM-IV disorders. Setting Household population in the United States. Participants Nationally representative sample of 9282 adults. Main Outcome Measures Lifetime prevalences of 20 DSM-IV anxiety, mood, disruptive behavior, and substance use disorders assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results The CAs studied were highly prevalent and intercorrelated. The CAs in a maladaptive family functioning (MFF) cluster (parental mental illness, substance abuse disorder, and criminality; family violence; physical abuse; sexual abuse; and neglect) were the strongest correlates of disorder onset. The best-fitting model included terms for each type of CA, number of MFF CAs, and number of other CAs. Multiple MFF CAs had significant subadditive associations with disorder onset. Little specificity was found for particular CAs with particular disorders. Associations declined in magnitude with life course stage and number of previous lifetime disorders but increased with length of recall. Simulations suggest that CAs are associated with 44.6% of all childhood-onset disorders and with 25.9% to 32.0% of later-onset disorders. Conclusions The fact that associations increased with length of recall raises the possibility of recall bias inflating estimates. Even considering this, the results suggest that CAs have powerful and often subadditive associations with the onset of many types of largely primary mental disorders throughout the life course.

1,844 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the best-documented examples of psychopathology attributable to child sexual abuse (CSA) were examined, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) of the child and a non-offending parent is the most effective treatment.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To provide clinicians with current information on prevalence, risk factors, outcomes, treatment, and prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). To examine the best-documented examples of psychopathology attributable to CSA. METHOD Computer literature searches of and for key words. All English-language articles published after 1989 containing empirical data pertaining to CSA were reviewed. RESULTS CSA constitutes approximately 10% of officially substantiated child maltreatment cases, numbering approximately 88,000 in 2000. Adjusted prevalence rates are 16.8% and 7.9% for adult women and men, respectively. Risk factors include gender, age, disabilities, and parental dysfunction. A range of symptoms and disorders has been associated with CSA, but depression in adults and sexualized behaviors in children are the best-documented outcomes. To date, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) of the child and a nonoffending parent is the most effective treatment. Prevention efforts have focused on child education to increase awareness and home visitation to decrease risk factors. CONCLUSIONS CSA is a significant risk factor for psychopathology, especially depression and substance abuse. Preliminary research indicates that CBT is effective for some symptoms, but longitudinal follow-up and large-scale "effectiveness" studies are needed. Prevention programs have promise, but evaluations to date are limited.

1,452 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of the present meta-analysis support the multifaceted model of traumatization rather than a specific sexual abuse syndrome of CSA, and provide clear evidence confirming the link between CSA and subsequent negative short- and long-term effects on development.
Abstract: A meta-analysis of the published research on the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) was undertaken for 6 outcomes: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicide, sexual promiscuity, victim-perpetrator cycle, and poor academic performance. Thirty-seven studies published between 1981 and 1995 involving 25,367 people were included. Many of the studies were published in 1994 (24; 65%), and most were done in the United States (22; 59%). All six dependent variables were coded, and effect sizes (d) were computed for each outcome. Average unweighted and weighted ds for each of the respective outcome variables were .50 and .40 for PTSD, .63 and .44 for depression, .64 and .44 for suicide, .59 and .29 for sexual promiscuity, .41 and .16 for victim-perpetrator cycle, and .24 and .19 for academic performance. A file drawer analysis indicated that 277 studies with null ds would be required to negate the present findings. The analyses provide clear evidence confirming the link between CSA and subs...

1,049 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI) as discussed by the authors is a measure of deliberate self-harm, which has high internal consistency; adequate construct, convergent, and discriminant validity; and adequate test-retest reliability.
Abstract: Deliberate self-harm has recently begun to receive more systematic attention from clinical researchers. However, there remains a general lack of consensus as to how to define and measure this important clinical construct. There is still no standardized, empirically validated measure of deliberate self-harm, making it more difficult for research in this area to advance. The present paper provides an integrative, conceptual definition of deliberate self-harm as well as preliminary psychometric data on a newly developed measure of self-harm, the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI). One hundred and fifty participants from undergraduate psychology courses completed research packets consisting of the DSHI and other measures, and 93 of these participants completed the DSHI again after an interval of 2–4 weeks (M = 3.3 weeks). Preliminary findings indicate that the DSHI has high internal consistency; adequate construct, convergent, and discriminant validity; and adequate test-retest reliability.

1,000 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The associations between giving a history of physical, emotional and sexual abuse in children and a range of mental health, interpersonal, and sexual problems in adult life were examined in a community sample of women as mentioned in this paper.

953 citations