Rape

Does Being Sexually Abused in Early Childhood Effect a Person’s Adulthood?

Kathleen Etienne

Constanca Fonseca Vescio

PS 226 EV: Abnormal Psychology

March 29, 2010

Research Question: Does being sexually abused in early childhood effect a person’s adulthood?

Bonanno, G. A., Keltner, D., Putnam, F. W., Trickett, P. K., LeJeune, J., & Anderson, C. (2002). When the face reveals what words do not: Facial Expressions of emotion, smiling, and the willingness to disclose childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 83, 94-110.

The main purpose of this article was that verbal disclosure of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are well documented, but little is know about how aspects of CSA may be communicated through nonverbal channels, such as posture, gestures and facial displays. The key concept that the author is addressing is the types of emotions that the people who have been sexually abused are going through. The reason for this is because most of these people tend to disclose their emotions nonverbally. The main conclusion in this article is that shame expressions were linked with anger, sadness, and smiling, but unrelated to other emotions. Anger showed no other significant connection. Disgust expressions were linked with sadness and unrelated to other emotions. Finally, non-smiles were correlated with smiles, but unrelated to other expressions. The higher normalness of shame expressions assumed for CSA survivors who did not disclose an abuse experience is assumed to result from an original experience of self-blame. Theoretically, CSA accompanied by either the threat of violence or actual physical violence is different from CSA that was not accompanied by any form of violence. The researchers collected this information by gathering a group of sexually abused participants and have them listen to a relaxing piece of music, and watching a relaxing image for a few minutes just to get them to relax. Afterward they were...