The Effects of Sexual Abuse on Women in Battering Relationships.

The prevalence of sexual abuse by male batterers has been estimated to be between 34% and 59%, although there are few studies examining the effects of this sexual abuse on the female victims. Further, the relationship between other forms of abuse and sexual abuse by a battering partner has not been systematically examined. The purpose of this study was to describe the effects of sexual abuse by a battering partner on a sample of female victims and to examine the relationship between abuse occurring within and outside the relationship. Participants in the study were battered women (N=320) from a specialized family violence program. Participants completed an assessment protocol at intake that included the Keane-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Subscale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Impact of Event Scale, and a structured clinical interview which identified them as battered women. The base rate of sexual abuse by a battering partner in the sample was 36.8%. No significant relationship was found when rates of childhood sexual abuse and other sexual assault were compared to rates of sexual abuse by the batterer. These results appear to suggest that the cumulative effects of multiple forms of abuse exacerbate the effects of battering alone. (ABL)