1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The main objective of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of attachment representations in the association between CSA [child sexual abuse] and preschoolers’ outcomes in terms of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems over a 1-year period.» (p. 473)

Questions/Hypothèses :
Attachment «representations were hypothesized to mediate the associations between CSA and behavior problems in preschool children. We also hypothesized that gender moderates the association between CSA and attachment representations, with CSA having a larger effect on boys’ attachment representations than on girls’.» (p. 473)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«A sample of 258 sexually abused children, 208 girls and 50 boys [and] their nonoffending caregiver (90% a maternal figure) was assessed at Time 1 (T1), after the disclosure of CSA, at two specialized intervention centers in Montreal, Canada. […] A comparison group of 133 nonabused children [including] 96 girls and 37 boys, was recruited in daycare centers and kindergartens in the Montreal area […].» (p. 473)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Firstly, more «disorganized attachment representations at T1 were associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T2, 1 year later. These results are consistent with previous studies in suggesting that disorganized attachment in CSA victims can act as a risk factor for the development of various negative outcomes [and] provide more convincing evidence for this link due to the study’s longitudinal design. Moreover, disorganized attachment was found to partially mediate the relation between CSA and both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems 1 year following the first assessment.» (p. 477) «The security and ambivalence scales, in contrast, were not associated with behavior problems. These results are in line with the literature establishing that disorganization is associated with more dysfunctional patterns of behavior compared to other forms of attachment insecurity […].» (p. 478) The analysis «also point to gender differences in the outomes of preschool CSA victims. Child gender was found to moderate the association between CSA and disorganization, with larger detrimental effects of CSA in boys.» (p. 478) Overall, these results show that «attachment representations did not completely mediate the association between CSA and behavior problems. This can be explained by the presence of a direct effect of CSA on behavior problems, but also suggests that other variables may intervene.» (p. 479)