TY - JOUR
T1 - Reenacting Past Abuse–Identification with the Aggressor and Sexual Revictimization
AU - Lahav, Yael
AU - Talmon, Anat
AU - Ginzburg, Karni
AU - Spiegel, David
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2019/8/8
Y1 - 2019/8/8
N2 - Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) poses a risk for sexual revictimization. Additionally, according to theory CSA may lead to identification with the aggressor, expressed by adopting the perpetrator’s experience concerning the abuse; identifying with the perpetrator’s aggression; replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator; and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator. Although clinical impressions suggest that identification with the aggressor underlies reenactment of trauma, this linkage between identification with the aggressor and sexual revictimization remains largely uninvestigated. This study assessed (a) the relationship between identification with the aggressor (total score and four subscales) and sexual revictimization; (b) the unique associations between identification with the aggressor (total score and four subscales) and sexual revictimization, above and beyond chronicity of abuse and PTSD symptoms. Participants were Israeli women students who reported a history of CSA (n = 174). Analyses indicated significant correlations between two subscales of identification with the aggressor–replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator–and sexual revictimization. These subscales of identification with the aggressor were associated with sexual revictimization, above and beyond the effects of chronicity of the abuse and PTSD symptoms. Nevertheless, these associations were in opposite directions–while replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator was related with higher occurrence of sexual revictimization, becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator was related with lower levels of revictimization. These results imply that identification with the aggressor may serve as a multifaceted phenomenon in the context of sexual revictimization, comprised of both adaptive and maladaptive aspects.
AB - Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) poses a risk for sexual revictimization. Additionally, according to theory CSA may lead to identification with the aggressor, expressed by adopting the perpetrator’s experience concerning the abuse; identifying with the perpetrator’s aggression; replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator; and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator. Although clinical impressions suggest that identification with the aggressor underlies reenactment of trauma, this linkage between identification with the aggressor and sexual revictimization remains largely uninvestigated. This study assessed (a) the relationship between identification with the aggressor (total score and four subscales) and sexual revictimization; (b) the unique associations between identification with the aggressor (total score and four subscales) and sexual revictimization, above and beyond chronicity of abuse and PTSD symptoms. Participants were Israeli women students who reported a history of CSA (n = 174). Analyses indicated significant correlations between two subscales of identification with the aggressor–replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator and becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator–and sexual revictimization. These subscales of identification with the aggressor were associated with sexual revictimization, above and beyond the effects of chronicity of the abuse and PTSD symptoms. Nevertheless, these associations were in opposite directions–while replacing one’s agency with that of the perpetrator was related with higher occurrence of sexual revictimization, becoming hyper-sensitive to the perpetrator was related with lower levels of revictimization. These results imply that identification with the aggressor may serve as a multifaceted phenomenon in the context of sexual revictimization, comprised of both adaptive and maladaptive aspects.
KW - Childhood sexual abuse
KW - PTSD
KW - identification with the aggressor
KW - sexual revictimization
KW - trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061292559&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15299732.2019.1572046
DO - 10.1080/15299732.2019.1572046
M3 - מאמר
AN - SCOPUS:85061292559
VL - 20
SP - 378
EP - 391
JO - Journal of Trauma and Dissociation
JF - Journal of Trauma and Dissociation
SN - 1529-9732
IS - 4
ER -