Past research has demonstrated a relationship between childhood abuse and subsequent self-injurious behavior. However, this research typically has taken place in mental health settings, focused on childhood sexual or physical abuse, and has explored a limited number of self-injury variables (most commonly suicide attempts). Among 147 women in a primary care setting, the authors explored the relationship between five forms of childhood abuse or trauma and three types of bodily self-injury. In univariate analyses, all forms of abuse except physical neglect were related to an increased likelihood of bodily self-harm. In a logistic regression analysis, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing violence were uniquely related to an increased likelihood of bodily self-injury. The results suggest that the direct experience or observation of body violation may developmentally precede subsequent bodily self-injury in some individuals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Barsky, A. J. , Wool, C., Barnett, M. C., & Cleary, P. D. (1994). Histories of childhood trauma in adult hypochondriacal patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 397-401.
2.
Briere, J. (1988). The long-term clinical correlates of childhood sexual victimization. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 528, 327-334.
3.
Briere, J. , & Zaidi, L. Y. (1989). Sexual abuse histories and sequelae in female psychiatric emergency room patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 1602-1606.
4.
Brown, A. , & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 66-77.
5.
Brown, G. R. , & Anderson, B. (1991). Psychiatric morbidity in adult inpatients with childhood histories of sexual and physical abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 55-61.
6.
Bryer, J. B. , Nelson, B. A., Miller, M. B., & Krol, P. A. (1989). Childhood sexual and physical abuse as factors in adult psychiatric illness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1426-1430.
7.
Darche, M. A. (1990). Psychological factors differentiating self-mutilating and non-self-mutilating adolescent inpatient females. The Psychiatric Hospital, 21, 31-35.
8.
Dembo, R. , Williams, L., La Voie, L., Berry, E., Getreu, A., Wish, E. D., Schmeidler, M., & Washburn, M. (1989). Physical abuse, sexual victimization, and illicit drug use: Replication of a structural analysis among a new sample of high-risk youths. Violence & Victims, 4, 121-138.
9.
Gould, D. A. , Stevens, N. G., Ward, N. G., Carlin, A. S., Sowell, H. E., & Gustafson, B. (1994). Self-reported childhood abuse in an adult population in a primary care setting. Archives of Family Medicine, 3, 252-256.
10.
Hart, L. E. , Mader, L., & Griffith, K. (1989). Effects of sexual and physical abuse: A comparison of adolescent inpatients. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 20, 49-57.
11.
Hart, S. N. , & Brassard, M. R. (1987). A major threat to children's mental health: Psychological maltreatment. American Psychologist, 42, 160-165.
12.
Herman, J. L. , Perry, J. C., & van der Kolk, B. A. (1989). Childhood trauma in borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 490-495.
13.
Kaufman, J. (1991). Depressive disorders in maltreated children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 257-265.
14.
Kinzl, J. , & Biebl, W. (1992). Long-term effects of incest. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 578.
15.
Kiser, L. J. , Heston, J., Millsap, P. A., & Pruitt, D. B. (1991). Physical and sexual abuse in childhood: Relationship with post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 776-783.
16.
Ludolph, P. S. , Westen, D., Misle, B., Jackson, A., Wixom, J., & Wiss, F. C. (1990). The borderline diagnosis in adolescents: Symptoms and developmental history. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 470-476.
17.
Malinosky-Rummell, R. , & Hansen, D. J. (1993). Long-term consequences of childhood physical abuse. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 68-79.
18.
Margo, G. M. , & McLees, E. M. (1991). Further evidence for the significance of a childhood abuse history in psychiatric inpatients. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 32, 362-366.
19.
Norusis, M. J. (1990). SPSS advanced statistics user's guide. Chicago: SPSS, Inc.
20.
Ogata, S. N. , Silk, K. R., Goodrich, S., Lohr, N. E., Westen, D., & Hill, E. M. (1990). Childhood sexual and physical abuse in adult patients with borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 1008-1013.
21.
Polusny, M. A. , & Follette, V. M. (1995). Long-term correlates of child sexual abuse: Theory and review of the empirical literature. Applied & Preventive Psychology, 4, 143-166.
22.
Romans, S. E. , Martin, J. L., Anderson, J. C., Herbison, G. P., & Mullen, P. E. (1995). Sexual abuse in childhood and deliberate self-harm. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 1336-1342.
23.
Ross, R. R. , & McKay, H. B. (1979). Self-mutilation. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
24.
Swett, C. , Cohen, C., Surrey, J., Compaine, A., & Chavez, R. (1991). High rates of alcohol use and history of physical and sexual abuse among women outpatients. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 17, 49-60.
25.
Terr, L. C. (1991). Childhood traumas: An outline and overview. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 10-20.
26.
van der Kolk, B. A. , Perry, C., & Herman, J. L. (1991). Childhood origins of self-destructive behavior. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1665-1671.
27.
Weaver, T. L. , & Clum, G. A. (1995). Psychological distress associated with interpersonal violence: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 115-140.
28.
Welch, S. L. , & Fairburn, C. G. (1994). Sexual abuse and bulimia nervosa: Three integrated case-control comparisons. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 402-407.
