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Presentations authored or co-authored by members of the Freyd Dynamics
Lab at the
Hollywood, California, November 3-11, 2006
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(Scroll down for abstracts and handouts)
Presentation CITRM 2006
Becker Blease, K., Freyd, J.J., DePrince, A.P. (November 2006) The Ethics
of Asking and Not Asking About Trauma. Presentation given at the Third
Annual Conference on Innovations in Trauma Research Methods, Hollywood,
CA, November 3-4, 2006.
Presentations ISTSS 2006
Becker-Blease, K., Friend, D. & Freyd, J.J. (November,
2006). Child Sex Abuse Perpetrators among Male University Students. Poster presented
at the 22st Annual Meeting of the International
Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Hollywood, CA, November 4-7, 2006.
Edwards, V. J., Freyd, J. J., Dube, S.R., Anda, R.F. Felitti,
V.J. (November, 2006). Health effects by closeness of sexual abuse perpetrator:
A test of Betrayal Trauma Theory. Poster presented at the 22st Annual Meeting
of the International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies, Hollywood, CA, November 4-7, 2006.
Foynes, M.M, Freyd, J. J., & DePrince, A.P. (November,
2006). Child Abuse, Betrayal, and Disclosure. Poster presented at the 22st Annual
Meeting of the International Society for Traumatic
Stress Studies, Hollywood, CA, November 4-7, 2006.
Goldsmith, R., Freyd, J.J., & DePrince, A.P. (November,
2006). Abuse Awareness: Physical and Psychological Health Consequences. Poster
presented at the 22st Annual Meeting of the International
Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Hollywood, CA, November 4-7, 2006.
Klest, B., Allard, C., & Freyd, J.J. (November, 2006).
Adult trauma and adult symptoms: Does childhood trauma drive the relationship?
Poster presented at the 22st Annual Meeting of the International
Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Hollywood, CA, November 4-7, 2006.
Presentations ISSD 2006
Cholankeril, A., Freyd, J.J., Becker-Blease, K.A., Pears,
K.C., Fisher, P.A. (November 2006). Examining dissociation in maltreated preschool
children. Poster presented at the International
Society for the Study of Dissociation 23rd International Fall Conference,
Los Angeles, California, November 9-11, 2006.
Tang, S.S. & Freyd, J.J. (November 2006). Gender differences
in depression and anxiety: The mediating role of betrayal trauma. Presentation
given at the International Society for the Study
of Dissociation 23rd International Fall Conference, Los Angeles, California,
November 9-11, 2006.
Abstracts & Handouts
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Becker Blease, K., Freyd, J.J., DePrince, A.P. (November 2006)
The Ethics of Asking and Not Asking About Trauma.
Abstract
Researchers who would like to ask participants about trauma face unique
methodological and ethical challenges, including 1) choosing appropriate
instruments and confidentiality procedures, 2) responding effectively when
participants disclose trauma, and 3) communicating risks and benefits asking
(and not asking) about trauma to potential collaborators and Institutional
Review Boards. These issues go beyond the information and skills taught
in general graduate-level research methods and ethics courses. When researchers
shy away from this research due to lack of expertise, science and society
lack important knowledge about the causes and consequences of trauma, and
participants may feel traumatic experiences are unimportant or taboo topics.
Insufficiently trained researchers who do ask about trauma may put participants
at risk. The presenters will emphasize important new research on these issues
that will be applicable to a wide range of potentially traumatic events,
including interpersonal violence, child abuse, war and community violence,
natural disasters, death, serious illness, and grief. The presentation focuses
on research projects that involve directly asking adult and child participants
about trauma (as opposed to using archive data).
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Becker-Blease, K., Friend, D. & Freyd, J.J. (November, 2006).
Child Sex Abuse Perpetrators among Male University Students.
Abstract
Previous studies indicate that approximately 21% of undergraduate men reportattraction
to "little children", 4 - 9 % report having fantasies about sexwith
a child, and 5 - 6% report masturbating to these fantasies. Between 3 and
7% report some likelihood of having sex with a child if there was nochance
they would be caught (Briere & Runtz, 1989; Smiljanich & Briere,
1996). Understanding potential for perpetration among young adult men is
important for prevention, but research on perpetration in non-convicted
samples is limited. We asked 531 undergraduate men about their experiences
with abuse as a child, as well as perpetration of child sexual abuse. Approximately
18% report fantasies about child sexual abuse and 8% have masturbated to
these fantasies. Four percent indicate some likelihood that they would have
sex with a child, and just over 2.5% report having perpetrated at least
one sexually abusive act against a child. More students in this survey report
fantasies about child sex than in past surveys, perhaps because of the increased
availability of child pornography, or differences in willingness to admit
such fantasies. The results are discussed in terms of the need for prevention
programs that target potential and unrecognized perpetrators.
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Edwards, V. J., Freyd, J. J., Dube, S.R., Anda, R.F. Felitti, V.J. (November,
2006).
Health effects by closeness of sexual abuse perpetrator: A test of Betrayal
Trauma Theory.
Abstract
Betrayal trauma theory (Freyd, 1999) postulates that abuse perpetrated by
a caregiver or someone close to you results in worse outcomes than abuse
perpetrated by someone less central to your well-being. We used data from
the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study to examine this hypothesis
in relation to a variety of adult health outcomes. We tested whether adults
whose abuser was a family member or non-relative living in the home would
report substantially poorer health than those whose abuser was a family
friend, relative living outside the home, or a stranger. Participants were
HMO members undergoing a complete physical examination. 3,100 (17.4%) reported
some form of childhood sexual abuse (fondling, attempted intercourse, or
intercourse) and also identified their abuser. Thirty-two percent of sexual
abuse survivors had high betrayal, defined as an abuser who was a family
or non-family member living in the home. Over 75% of those reporting a high
betrayal abuser were women. High betrayal abuse was related to depression,
anxiety, suicidality, panic, and anger. High betrayal subjects had poorer
health functioning on the SF-36 role-physical, role-emotional, and social
functioning scales than low betrayal victims.
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Foynes, M.M, Freyd, J. J., & DePrince, A.P. ( November, 2006).
Child Abuse, Betrayal, and Disclosure.
Abstract
The present study examined the association between perpetrator relationship
and disclosure latency (DL) for physical and emotional abuse using a survey
methodology with a sample of 202 undergraduate participants. Based on Freyd's
Betrayal Trauma Theory (1996), we predicted that abuse by a close perpetrator
would be related to longer DL, because nondisclosure may serve as a protective
coping mechanism in the same way as unawareness of abuse. BTT frames disclosure
as a risk that poses a threat to the emotional needs of the child, without
requiring the child's conscious awareness of the way in which the world
operates. We found that closeness of perpetrator significantly predicts
DL above and beyond other variables such as age at abuse onset, gender of
survivor and abuse severity. Abuse by very close perpetrators was associated
with a greater likelihood of first disclosure years following abuse, if
disclosure ever occurred. While delayed disclosure may allow the attachment
relationship to be sustained, it may also prolong abuse and prevent receipt
of emotional, legal, or financial support. Since disclosure may result in
the loss of important social relationships, it is important to address these
risks in interventions geared toward encouraging disclosure to promote ethical
intervention delivery.
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Goldsmith, R., Freyd, J.J., & DePrince, A.P. (November, 2006).
Abuse Awareness: Physical and Psychological Health Consequences.
Abstract
Despite established links between child abuse and psychological symptoms
such as depression, dissociation, and anxiety, many abuse survivors experience
awareness of specific abuse instances or abuse-related symptoms without
acknowledging the abuse itself. The current study examines relations among
abuse awareness, physical symptoms, and emotional functioning in young adults.
One hundred eighty-five university students responded to questions regarding
perceptions of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as standard
abuse and symptom measures. Ninety-six individuals completed the questionnaire
a second time 1-2 years later. At baseline, labeling oneself as having been
abused was not correlated with depression, anxiety, dissociation, or physical
health complaints. At follow-up, however, labeling abuse was significantly
positively related to depression, anxiety, physical health complaints, and
the number of reported visits to a health professional, even after controlling
for abuse severity. These results indicate that processes involved in abuse
perception appear to be connected to individuals' psychological and physical
functioning, and that abuse awareness may have important clinical implications.
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Klest, B., Allard, C., & Freyd, J.J. ( November, 2006).
Adult trauma and adult symptoms: Does childhood trauma drive the relationship?
Abstract
We used structural modeling to examine observed relationships between childhood
trauma, adult trauma, and adult dissociation and mental health. We propose
a model in which childhood betrayal trauma predicts adult betrayal trauma
and dissociation, and dissociation predicts mental health. Paths between
adult betrayal trauma and dissociation, and adult betrayal trauma and mental
health were set at zero. This model was tested using questionnaire data
from 307 undergraduates. The model fit the data very well (comparative fit
index = .98, chi-square(df = 8) = 21.99), and performed as well as other
less parsimonious models. Alternative equivalent models and implications
of these findings are discussed. The pattern of parameter estimates generated
for this model suggests that childhood trauma drives the relationship between
trauma and symptoms.
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Cholankeril, A., Freyd, J.J., Becker-Blease, K.A., Pears, K.C., Fisher,
P.A. (November 2006).
Examining dissociation in maltreated preschool children.
Poster presented at the International
Society for the Study of Dissociation 23rd International Fall Conference,
Los Angeles, California, November 9-11, 2006.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine dissociation in a population of
preschool-age foster children with documented cases of maltreatment. Data
were collected from participants in the Early Intervention Foster Care program
(EIFC), a randomized efficacy trial based on the empirically evaluated Multidimensional
Specialized Foster Care program. Dissociative symptoms were assessed using
three subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) that have been previously
published in the trauma literature. Because the three subscales were highly
intercorrelated, items were combined for a Exploratory Factor Analysis.
Two distinct factors were found that may comprise new subscales assessing
dissociative symptomatology and post-traumatic arousal symptomatology. In
order to test their predictive validity, analyses compared the foster care
sample and a community sample with no known maltreatment history and also
compared dissociation across maltreatment categories. Implications for the
use of dissociation as an adaptive coping mechanism are discussed.
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Tang, S.S. & Freyd, J.J. (November 2006).
Gender differences in depression and anxiety: The mediating role of betrayal
trauma.
Presentation given at the International
Society for the Study of Dissociation 23rd International Fall Conference,
Los Angeles, California, November 9-11, 2006.
Betrayal trauma theory posits that traumas perpetrated by someone close
to the victim are more likely to cause dissociation and unawareness than
those perpetrated by someone not close (Freyd, 1994). Recent research (Freyd,
Klest, Allard) discovered that traumas with high betrayal are significantly
correlated with number of physical illness, anxiety, dissociation, and depression
symptoms. Recent research (Goldberg & Freyd) has also found women tend
to experience higher rates of betrayal trauma (BT) than men. Given this
combination of results, we hypothesized BT would partially explain the higher
rates of depression and anxiety consistently found among women. Based upon
a sample of over 400 students from the University of Oregon, results indicated
that BT mediated the relationship between gender and depression and between
gender and anxiety. Although there were no gender differences found in rates
of dissociation, BT was also predictive of dissociation.
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