Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures

Robin R. Milhausen, John K. Sakaluk, Terri D. Fisher, Clive M. Davis, William L. Yarber

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781351727358
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Psychologie
• Subtopic: Sexualité humaine en psychologie

This classic and invaluable reference handbook, written for sex researchers and their students, has now been completely revised in a new, fourth edition. It remains the only easy and efficient way for researchers to learn about, evaluate, and compare instruments that have previously been used in sex research.

1 Abuse and Pedophilia

Childhood Sexual Abuse Scale

MATTHEW C. AALSMA,¹ Indiana University School of Medicine

J. DENNIS FORTENBERRY, Indiana University School of Medicine

The Child Sexual Abuse Scale (CSAS; Aalsma, Zimet, Fortenberry, Blythe, & Orr, 2002) is a self-report instrument that was developed to measure the occurrence of childhood sexual abuse in adolescent and adult populations. The measurement of childhood sexual abuse varies widely from brief, single-item measures to lengthy clinical interviews. Many measures of childhood sexual abuse are interviews or are lengthy self-report inventories, which are difficult to incorporate into studies assessing many areas of sexual functioning and behavior. This scale was developed with two issues in mind. First, a benefit of the current measure is it is very brief (four items) and can be utilized in a wide variety of studies. Second, because the CSAS is a multiple-item rather than single-item measure, internal reliability can be assessed.

The CSAS consists of four items. Participants are instructed that the items refer to events that may have occurred prior to age 12. The use of this particular age cutoff was based, in part, on focus groups with adolescents in which the participants reached a consensus that the term childhood sexual abuse involved events occurring up to 12 years of age. We also wanted the CSAS to address an age range during which consensual sexual experiences were less likely. In order to maintain brevity, the CSAS did not include items regarding the specific nature of the abuse (e.g., whether penetration was involved) or the participant’s relationship with the perpetrator. Given that the age range for childhood sexual abuse is set at below 12, as well as the reading level of this scale, it is most appropriate for adolescent and adult populations.

Development

The CSAS was developed for a research project (Aaslma et al., 2002) with the intent to develop a brief, multi-item tool to assess for childhood sexual abuse.

Response Mode and Timing

The participants are asked to select 1 (Yes) or 0 (No) to each statement.

Scoring

The total score for this scale is calculated by summing across items and can range from 0 to 4.

Reliability

The CSAS was originally utilized in a study of female adolescent and young adult subjects (14 to 24 years of age, N = 217) recruited from urban health clinics and a sexually transmitted disease clinic in a large midwestern city. The scale, measuring a single construct, demonstrated excellent internal reliability at baseline (α = .81) and seven-month follow-up (α = .84; Aalsma et al., 2002).

Validity

The content validity of this scale was established by exploring other childhood sexual abuse scales. When compared to other scales, the current CSAS demonstrates strong face validity. Support for the construct validity of the CSAS is demonstrated by its relationship with other variables. In the original study assessing the role of consistent reporting of childhood sexual abuse, consistent nonreporters of childhood sexual abuse were compared to inconsistent (endorsed at least one item at one time point and not at another time point) and consistent reporters of childhood sexual abuse. We found that reporters (either inconsistent or consistent) endorsed marked increases in measures of pathology (i.e., depression) and health-compromising behavior (i.e., sexual coercion and lifetime sexual partners). Moreover, a linear trend was evident with lifetime number of sexual partners and depression. Consistent reports of childhood sexual abuse reported the highest number of sexual partners and increased depression. Lastly, we conducted a logistic regression in order to predict membership in the consistent or inconsistent reporting group. The results indicated that adolescents who endorsed at least two items on the CSAS were over five times more likely to be consistent childhood sexual abuse reporters. The results of this analysis demonstrate the utility and importance of using a scale rather than a single-item measure to measure childhood sexual abuse. The above findings were extended in an additional analysis with the same sample (Fortenberry & Aalsma, 2003).

1 Address correspondence to: [email protected]

The CSAS was also employed in a study of homeless youth (Rew, Whittaker, Taylor-Seehafer, & Smith, 2005). Significant differences among homeless youth by sexual orientation categories on the CSAS were found. Specifically, gay and lesbian youth were more likely to have left home due to sexual abuse than heterosexual and bisexual youth. The authors of the study utilized the full scale as well as individual items in the analysis.

References

Aalsma, M. C., Zimet, G. D., Fortenberry, J. D., Blythe, M. J., & Orr, D. P.(2002). Report of childhood sexual abuse by adolescents and young adults: Stability over time. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 259–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490209552149

Fortenberry, J. D. & Aalsma, M. C. (2003). Abusive sexual experiences before age 12 and adolescent sexual behaviors. In J. Bancroft (Ed.), Sexual development in childhood (pp. 359–369). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Rew, L., Whittaker, T. A., Taylor-Seehafer, M. A., & Smith, L. R. (2005). Sexual health risks and protective resources and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual homeless youth. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 10, 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.15390136.2005.00003.x

Exhibit

Childhood Sexual Abuse Scale

These next questions are about activity before you were 12 years old.

Empathy for Children Scale

GERARD A. SCHAEFER,² Institute of Sexual Psychology

STEVEN FEELGOOD, Brandenburg an der Havel Prison

ANNA KONRAD, Institute of Sexology and Sexual Medicine

The Empathy for Children Scale (ECS) was developed to measure an individual’s cognitive and emotional empathy for child victims by rating 75 short statements regarding intensity of feelings, thoughts, and behaviours on a 5-point Likert scale. Three scenarios are used: assessing empathy with respect to an “accident victim,” a “stranger child sexual abuse victim,” and “(fantasized) own child sexual abuse victim.” The ECS can be used as a research tool in examining respective empathy (deficits) of various subsamples. It can also serve as a clinical tool for therapists in treatment planning and treatment outcome assessment.

Development

The ECS is based on the Child Molester Empathy Measure (CMEM; Fernandez & Marshall, 2003; Fernandez, Marshall, Lightbody, & O’Sullivan, 1999), in that it uses the same three scenarios to assess empathy for child victims using two subscales (cognitive and emotional empathy) for each scenario. However, as the ECS was specifically developed for administration with pedophilic nonoffenders, the original “own child sexual abuse victim” scenario was modified to offer a fantasized own victim. Changes to the scenarios also improved the comparability of the scenarios. Furthermore, the ECS assesses data regarding age and gender of stranger sexual abuse victim and (fantasized) own victim. The ECS uses shorter Likert-type scales (5-point versus 11-point) to rate only 75 items (versus 150) and, thus, is less complex and more economic. The instrument is available in English, French, and German (Feelgood & Schaefer, 2005).

2 Address correspondence to: [email protected]

Response Mode and Timing

Respondents are to rate on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much) regarding how the child might feel (cognitive empathy) and how they feel (emotional empathy) when imagining what the child experienced. It typically takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete the measu...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Abuse and Pedophilia
• 2 Adolescents
• 3 Affect and Emotions
• 4 Arousal and Arousability
• 5 Attitudes, Beliefs, and Cognitions
• 6 Body Image and Sexualization
• 7 Clinical Self-Efficacy
• 8 Coercion and Consent
• 9 Communication
• 10 Compulsivity, Hypersexuality, and Addiction
• 11 Condoms
• 12 Desire and Interest
• 13 Families and Sexuality
• 14 Gender (Clinical)
• 15 Gender Identity
• 16 Gender Roles, Norms, and Expressions
• 17 HIV/STI Attitudes and Behaviors
• 18 Identity and Orientation
• 19 Love and Relationships
• 20 Motivations
• 21 Pleasure, Satisfaction, and Orgasm
• 22 Sadism and Masochism
• 23 Self-Concept and Self-Esteem
• 24 Sexual Comfort and Erotophobia/Erotophilia
• 25 Sexual Function, Dysfunction, and Difficulties
• 26 Sexual Prejudice
• 27 Sexual Scripts and the Sexual Double Standard
• 28 Sexually Explicit Material and Online Sexual Activity
• 29 Sociosexuality and Sexual Sensation Seeking
• Index