Abstract
Objective:
The purpose of the study was to evaluate relationship between self-esteem and variables related to sexual abuse, including family support and psychiatric diagnosis due to sexual abuse, among adolescents admitted to İzmir Child Advocacy Center (CAC).
Method:
The fi les were evaluated retrospectively belonged to 93 adolescents (between 14 to 18 years old) who admitted İzmir CAC between 1st of August 2016 and 31st of January 2017 and who completed Coppersmith’s Self-esteem Inventory (CSI) in order to obtain data about the variables of sexual abuse (such as type of abuse, duration of abuse, victim-abuser relationship and family support after sexual abuse experience ), and psychiatric diagnosis that belonged to sexually abused adolescents to compare with their Coopersmith’s Self-esteem Inventory scores.
Results:
When the data derived from sexually abused adolescents admitted to CAC, victims without family support and with a psychiatric diagnosis due to sexual abuse, penetration type and intrafamilial sexual abuse victims had higher probability to have lower self-esteem scores.
Discussion:
Self-esteem as a part of personality development, might be harmed by sexual abuse in every period of life. In the treatment of sexually abused adolescents, the data derived from our study about how self-esteem may be affected by the variables and outcomes of sexual abuse may guide to sexual abuse victims’ individual treatment process.
Keywords: Self-esteem, sexual abuse, Child Advocacy Center, adolescence
