Kevin M. Thompson

Relationship of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Eating Disturbance in Children

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that childhood sexual abuse increases the risk of eating disturbance in children. METHOD Data obtained from 20 sexually abused children were compared with data obtained from 20 nonabused control children. All subjects were female and between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Subjects completed a battery of tests assessing eating disorder behaviors, body image concern, and childhood trauma history. RESULTS Comparison of the 2 groups revealed that the abused children had higher levels of weight dissatisfaction and purging and dieting behavior. Furthermore, abused children reported eating less than control children when they felt emotionally upset. Abused children were less likely than control children to exhibit perfectionistic tendencies, but more likely to desire thinner body types. CONCLUSIONS This is the first controlled study to examine the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and eating disturbance which relied on children as subjects. The results support previous findings with adult subjects which indicate that a history of childhood sexual abuse is associated with weight and body dissatisfaction, along with purging and dietary restriction.

Psychopathology and Sexual Trauma in Childhood and Adulthood

This study evaluates the occurrence of psychopathology among 97 women who (1) experienced sexual abuse in childhood only, (2) were raped in adulthood only, (3) experienced both childhood sexual abuse and rape in adulthood, or (4) experienced no sexual trauma. Women were recruited from advertisements and assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I/P) and the Modified PTSD Symptom Scale Self-Report. Women who reported sexual trauma were significantly more likely to exhibit psychopathology than controls. Being sexually victimized in childhood and raped in adulthood was associated with a particular risk for substance dependence.

The Neglected Link Between Eating Disturbances and Aggressive Behavior in Girls

OBJECTIVES Research has linked eating disturbances with behavioral impulsivity. Little is known, however, about whether eating disturbances and aggressive behavior have a tendency to co-occur in the same girls. This article assesses the eating disturbance-aggressive behavior association and then examines the extent to which these factors confer a risk on drug use and attempted suicide. METHOD Survey data were gathered from 3,630 girls in grades 6 through 12 in the upper Midwest. Girls responded anonymously to questions regarding binge eating and purging, dietary restriction, aggressive behavior, drug use, and attempted suicide. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the unique contribution of demographic variables, eating disturbances, and aggression on drug use and attempted suicide. RESULTS Eating disturbances were significantly associated with aggressive behavior. Girls who endorsed binge eating and purging or dietary restriction had odds of aggressive behavior 2 to 4 times higher than girls who did not endorse these items. Logistic regression revealed that eating disturbances and aggressive behavior were significantly associated with both drug use and attempted suicide. CONCLUSIONS Eating disturbances are significantly associated with aggressive conduct in adolescent girls. The constellation of eating disturbances and aggressive behavior is associated with a greater risk of drug use and attempted suicide.

Gang Membership, Race, and Social Class: a Test of the Group Hazard and Master Status Hypotheses

This article examines the extent to which gang membership, race, and social class affect a youths chances of being arrested, independent of their self-reported delinquent behavior. We couple the concepts of group hazard and master status to frame our theoretical predictions. Using data from the Seattle Youth Study (Hindelang, Hirschi, and Weis 1981), we find that the odds of being arrested are roughly similar for gang and nongang members, controlling for the nature and level of self-reported delinquency. While being a gang member does not pose a group hazard to being arrested, a youths master status based on race and social class is associated with arrest risk. Both being black and lower class increases a youths odds of being arrested, independent of delinquency. Neither race nor class effects can be accounted for by the frequency with which youth hang out with their best friends. We propose several recommendations for reducing race and class profiling.This article examines the extent to which gang membership, race, and social class affect a youths chances of being arrested, independent of their self-reported delinquent behavior. We couple the concepts of group hazard and master status to frame our theoretical predictions. Using data from the Seattle Youth Study (Hindelang, Hirschi, and Weis 1981), we find that the odds of being arrested are roughly similar for gang and nongang members, controlling for the nature and level of self-reported delinquency. While being a gang member does not pose a group hazard to being arrested, a youths master status based on race and social class is associated with arrest risk. Both being black and lower class increases a youths odds of being arrested, independent of delinquency. Neither race nor class effects can be accounted for by the frequency with which youth hang out with their best friends. We propose several recommendations for reducing race and class profiling.

Sexual violence and weight control techniques among adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE Research has linked childhood sexual abuse and eating disturbances among adult females. Less is known about whether sexual abuse in the form of dating violence has implications for deviant weight control techniques among adolescent girls. This study assesses the association between sexual violence and weight control practices among girls. We also attempt to untangle the effects of family environment from this association and to determine if weak impulse control mediates the association. METHOD Survey data were gathered from 2,629 girls in Grades 9-12 to assess health risks. Girls responded to questions regarding dating violence, unwanted sexual contact, purging, and diet pill consumption. Logistic regression was used to assess the unique contribution of sexual violence on weight control techniques. RESULTS Dating violence and unwanted sexual contact elevated the probability that girls would report practicing weight control techniques by 6-13%. Controls for family environment did not eliminate these associations. Weak impulse control did not significantly mediate these associations. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that sexual violence has immediate implications as a risk factor for weight control techniques in adolescence.

Youth Maltreatment and Gang Involvement

Although childhood maltreatment has been found to contribute to a variety of youth problem behaviors, the implications of being maltreated on gang involvement remain unclear. This research examines whether physical and sexual maltreatment raises the risk of gang involvement among secondary school students. Findings show that being maltreated increases the probability of gang involvement, independent of demographic factors. When youth are subjected to extreme levels of maltreatment, their odds of participating in gang activities differ only slightly from youth who report occasional maltreatment, suggesting that prevalence measures may be better predictors of gang involvement than incidence measures. When youth are beaten physically and molested sexually, their odds of gang involvement are four times higher than youth who do not experience maltreatment. Finally, being maltreated is a much more robust correlate of gang involvement than the level of support, communication, educational interest, and supervision youth receive from their parents.

Sexual Trauma, Spirituality, and Psychopathology

ABSTRACT This study assessed the association between spirituality and psychopathology in a group of sexual abuse victims and controls with a focus on whether spirituality moderated the association between sexual trauma and psychopathology. Seventy-one sexual trauma victims were compared to 25 control subjects on spiritual well-being, the Eating Disorder Examination, the PTSD Symptom Scale, and the SCID-I/P. The data showed that the two groups did not differ in terms of spiritual well-being. Sexual trauma status was associated with most of the psychopathology outcomes, but its impact on psychopathology was largely unmoderated by spirituality. Among sexual trauma victims, the level of spiritual well-being did not alter the probability of current psychopathology. However, increased spiritual well-being was generally associated with lower psychopathology for the entire sample.

Self-reported official trouble and official arrest: Validating a piece of the core alcohol and drug survey

In the past decade, universities and colleges across the USA have attempted to develop a profile of college student drinkers in order to develop programs and policies for combating high‐risk drinking. Most of these studies have relied on the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey in which students self‐report drinking and behaviors associated with drinking. While the Core survey has undergone multiple validity checks, few researchers have employed official data to validate items in the survey, particularly self‐reported official trouble. The present study employed municipal alcohol‐related arrest reports to determine whether the correlates of arrest resembled correlates associated with self‐reported official trouble from drinking. Overall, group membership patterns from the self‐report item resembled the patterns of alcohol‐related arrest. Further tests using internal Core survey criteria revealed additional validity support for the self‐reported official trouble item.

Sexual victimization and adolescent weight regulation practices: a test across three community based samples

OBJECTIVE This study had four objectives: 1) to examine the association between sexual victimization and weight regulation across three samples of adolescent girls, 2) to assess whether sexual victimization is associated with more extreme forms of weight regulation in girls, 3) to discern whether sexual victimization has implications for the use of multiple forms of weight regulation, and 4) to address the role of physical victimization in explaining these relationships. METHOD Data from three separate samples of 9th-12th graders were used to test these hypotheses. Girls from the upper Midwest responded to survey questions related to victimization and weight regulation in a largely urban sample (N = 2,086), a rural sample (N = 2,629), and a statewide sample (N = 966). RESULTS Logistic regression revealed that sexual victimization was consistently associated with weight regulation in adolescent girls, independent of the effects of physical victimization. In the urban sample, being sexually victimized was associated with an increase in the probability of purging by 18% relative to not being sexually victimized. Sexual victimization was associated more strongly with extreme forms of weight regulation and significantly discriminated whether girls would choose multiple weight regulation forms. CONCLUSIONS Sexual victimization contributes unique variance to the probability that girls will practice weight regulation techniques. Data from three independent samples confirms that being violated sexually places girls at risk for various health compromising eating behaviors.

An assessment of the recidivism rates of substantiated and unsubstantiated maltreatment cases.

OBJECTIVE This study assembles information about the large number of maltreatment reports that are determined by social services to be unsubstantiated. Specifically, we assess whether the status of a maltreatment case (substantiated vs. unsubstantiated) has implications for recidivism. Recidivism rates for substantiated and unsubstantiated maltreated juveniles were also compared to juvenile offenders. METHOD Juvenile court records for 15,812 juveniles were assessed over a 3 year period. The data included 2558 maltreatment cases. Fifty-four percent of these cases were unsubstantiated. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the probability of recidivism based on time one referral status. RESULTS Youth whose maltreatment allegations were unsubstantiated had significantly lower odds of recidivating than abused youth. Having a case recorded as unsubstantiated lowered a youths odds of subsequent offending by 55% relative to being abused. The probability of recidivating was highest for juvenile offenders, followed in order by maltreated youth and youth whose reports were unsubstantiated. DISCUSSION This is one of the first studies to examine the court histories of substantiated and unsubstantiated maltreatment cases. If the subsequent outcomes following maltreatment investigations are used as an indicator of seriousness, our results suggest that assessment caseworkers are successfully sorting out the serious from the less serious cases.