The nature and long‐term effects of childhood sexual abuse: A survey of adult women survivors in Britain

The nature and long‐term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) were examined in 775 women survivors who responded to a survey in a women's magazine. Compared to existing research, there was a high rate of CSA involving sexual intercourse (46 %), a high rate of intra‐familial abuse (80%), a younger age of onset of abuse (8.5 years), and a longer duration of abuse (5.2 years). In univariate analyses, the reporting of a range of long‐term psychological effects was significantly related to experience of abuse involving sexual intercourse or sexual contact, abuse perpetrated by a father or stepfather, abuse which was repeated or prolonged, presence of threats or violence, blaming of the child, saying disclosure would split the family, and a younger age of onset. In logistic and multiple regression analyses, the most important predictor variables were presence of threats or violence, and verbal coercion, followed by abuse being repeated or prolonged. It is suggested that future researchers should use a range of assessment instruments and multivariate analyses to examine the nature and long‐term effects of child sexual abuse in both women and men. 1995 The British Psychological Society