Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
S. Jean Caraway
Abstract
Any sexual act performed under the condition that one person will receive or provide something of value to another in exchange for the sexual act is referred to as commercial sex. Some research suggests that those who engage in commercial sex are more likely to be victimized or physically assaulted. Moreover, a frequently cited risk associated with engaging in commercial sex is a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Because commercial sex and CSA are often unreported, there is limited understanding regarding symptom severity experienced by survivors of both. It was hypothesized that individuals who had experiences of both CSA and commercial sex would have higher symptom severity ratings of posttraumatic stress and abuse- related shame. Archival data was utilized from a larger study examining CSA in female participants ranging from 18-29 years old (N = 219). Through an independent samples t-test analysis, participants who endorsed both commercial sex participation and CSA were compared to participants who only endorsed CSA. The findings of this research suggested that individuals who are survivors of both CSA and commercial sex reported higher posttraumatic stress and shame symptom severity. Furthermore, the findings suggest that individuals who experience CSA and commercial sex participation endorsed higher rates of intrusive thoughts or feelings, negative beliefs about themselves and the world, irritability, sleep disturbances, avoidant behaviors, and feelings of embarrassment related to their experiences in comparison to individuals who only endorsed CSA. As there is limited research in this area, this study contributes to the body of literature on survivors of commercial sex as well as CSA. The findings of the current study provide elucidation on symptom severity that can be utilized to adjust screening questionnaires and tailor treatments specific to survivors of sexual abuse.
Subject Categories
Clinical Psychology
Keywords
childhood maltreatment, Childhood Sexual Abuse, childhood trauma, Commercial Sex, Shame, Traumatic Stress
Number of Pages
57
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Ann Bailey, Barbara, "Traumatic Stress, Sexual Abuse-Related Shame Severity, and Participation in Commercialized Sex Based on Childhood Sexual Abuse" (2024). Dissertations and Theses. 230.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/230