1. Sexual Abuse and Body
Image
TaLysa S. Bethea
Department of Behavioral Sciences
Sow 3302-01

2. Introduction
 Define the problem
 According to Martian Finkel (2012) 30-40%
of girls experience child sexual abuse by age
18.
 Purpose for Study
 To examine the association between
childhood sexual abuse and negative body
image
 Significance to Social Work
 Women make up a large population that
social workers assist
 Child sexual abuse is a major social issue
9.2% of Child Protective Service
investigations come from child sexual abuse

3. Hypotheses
Hypotheses
Women who have experienced sexual abuse as a child are more likely to display negative body image as adults
Variables
Independent Variable: sexual abuse
According to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2016), child sexual abuse is any sexual act between an adult and
child that can not give consent.
Dependent Variable: body image
One’s perception of their own image, body, and or appearance

4. Summary of Literature
Body Image Among Victims of Sexual and Physical Abuse
According to Kremer, Orbach, and Rosenbloom (2013) women who experienced child sexual abuse showed
body dissatisfaction, no body sensitivity or control, and less body care and protection;
Body Image in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Childhood Sexual Abuse and Co-Occurring Eating
Disorder
According to Dyer et al.. (2012), women with PTSD that experienced child sexual abuse are more likely to have
negative body image;
 Understanding the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Women's Sexuality. Journal of Mental Health and
Counseling
According to Colangelo & Keefe-Cooperman (2013), child sexual abuse can cause disordered eating attitudes
and clinical eating disorders.

5. Theoretical Framework
Phenomenological/ Self Theory
Based on life experiences a person will develop positive or negative feelings
According to Carl Rodgers such experiences can result in depression, guilt, shame, etc.
Explains how people develop low self-esteem, eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, etc.

6. Methodology
 Target Population
Women ages 18-45 that experienced sexual
abuse between the ages of 0-17
Flyers distributed on Winston-Salem State
campus
Referrals from counseling center
Sampling Procedure
Non probability procedure utilizing snowball
sampling
 Operationalization
Researcher will use a mixed-method procedure
to include: four Likert-type scale and open
ended questions to triangulate participants’
responses.

7. Methodology Cont.
Data Collection (Standardize Scales)
1. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: A Retrospective
Self-Report
2. Sexual Events Questionnaire
3. Body Satisfaction Scale-Short Form
4. Body-Esteem Scale for Adults and Adolescents
 Unstructured open-ended questions
 Can you describe body image insecurities you believe
are attributed to sexual abuse?
Research Design
 0 X – This is a post test design.
Data will be collected at one point in time

8. Strengths and Limitations of Study
STRENGTHS
All racial-ethnic participants are included
Not limited to traditional college students
 Varying perspective
Social media is not the only cause for
negative body image
LIMITATIONS
Limited to women
Open to women in college
Not reliable
 This study only provides a snap shot of
participants’ experiences
 Participants have to recall information
regarding sexual abuse, which decreases
reliability of data.

9. Implication for Social Work Practice
The self theory can help social workers understand how childhood sexual abuse effects body
image
According to Perloff 72% of social media users are 18-29
Majority are women
Allows social workers employed in college settings to identify the various effects of childhood
sexual abuse which allows them to better
Address depression
Assess low self-esteem
Identify eating disorders

10. Implications Cont.
Social Workers can develop intervention plans that are gender and age specific for women
For example, women can meet in a support group for intervention
Group interventions allow social workers to assist more individuals at once and encourages
clients with similar experiences to interact and support one another

11. Future Directions
 This study should be conducted among male counterparts
 Sexual abuse effects in men is understudied
13% of male experience child sexual abuse before age 18
More research on this specific topic
Intervention Plan
Goal: Group members will develop a positive body image
Objective: Based on age, 6 women will attend a support group session once a week for the
next four months

12. References
Andersen, B. L. (1991). Body Satisfaction Scale-Short Form. doi:TC021452
Bernstein, D. P., & Fink, L. (1998). Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: A Retrospective Self-Report. doi:TC020420
Colangelo, J. J., & Keefe-Cooperman, k. (2013). Understanding the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Women's
Sexuality. Journal of Mental Health and Counseling, 14-37.
doi:http://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/918717206/1C9CFC15BE484253PQ/9?accounttid=15070
Dyer, A., Borgmann, E., Kleindienst, N., Jr., R. E., Vocks, S., & Bohus, M. (2012). Body Image in Patients with
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Childhood Sexual Abuse and Co-Occurring Eating Disorder.
Psychopathology, 186-191. doi:10.1159/000341590
Finkel, M. A. (2012). Children's Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse. Pediatric Annals, el-6. doi:10.3928/00904481-20121126-
10

13. References Cont.
Finkelhor, D. (1979). Sexual Events Questionnaire. doi:TC021718
Mendelson, B. K., Mendelson, M. J., & White, D. R. (1982). Body-Esteem Scale for Adults and
Adolescents. doi:TC021533
Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women's Body Image Concerns: Theoretical
Perspective and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles, 363-377. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6
Zastrow, C. H., & Krist-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding Human Behavior in the Social
Environment. Boston: Cengage Learning.

14. Questions