The Associations between Self-Silencing and Delinquency in Adolescent Who Experienced Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

A large body of research reveals that child sexual abuse is an adverse experience associated with many negative socioemotional and behavioral consequences during adolescence. Notably, adolescent victims of child sexual abuse are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, which has importance for their adaptation later in life. While research on the psychological antecedents of delinquent behavior has independently considered each core feature of silencing the self (i.e., low assertiveness and self-expression, conflict avoidance, presenting a non-authentic self, anger, and hostility), it has failed to jointly consider these as potential predictors of delinquent behaviors in adolescent victims of child sexual abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between the two dimensions of self-silencing (i.e., divided self and silencing the self) and delinquency in adolescent victims of child sexual abuse. A sample of 110 adolescents seeking services following child sexual abuse completed self-reported questionnaires, and case files were analyzed to gather information regarding child sexual abuse severity. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, after controlling for the effect of age, gender, parental monitoring, and child sexual abuse severity, self-silencing was positively associated with delinquent behaviors, affiliation with delinquent peers, as well as alcohol and drug use. Divided self contributed to the prediction of aggressive behaviors. Implementing interventions aimed at increasing adolescents’ assertiveness, conflict management skills, and emotion regulation and promoting congruence between their behaviors and authentic selves may lower their involvement in delinquency.

KEYWORDS:

• Delinquent behavior
• aggressive behavior
• self-silencing
• delinquent peers
• substance use
• child sexual abuse

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the teenagers and members of the intervention centers that participated in the study. Our thanks also extend to Catherine Moreau for project coordination and Manon Robichaud for data management.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical Standards and Informed Consent

This study was approved by the Human Research Review Committee of the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Ethics comity of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine. All participants signed an informed consent form.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by a grant [# 103944] awarded to Martine Hébert from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Notes on contributors

Élizabeth Hébert

Élizabeth Hébert, Laurie Fortin and Andréanne Fortin are doctoral students in the Department of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Martine Hébert (Ph.D.) is a full professor in the Department of Sexology at the Université du Québec à Montréal and holds the Canada Research Chair Tier 1 on Interpersonal Trauma and Resilience. Her main research interests focus on child sexual abuse and dating violence.

Alison Paradis

Alison Paradis (Ph.D) is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal and leads the Laboratoire d’Études sur le bien-être des familles et des couples (LÉFAC).

Martine Hébert

Martine Hébert (Ph.D.) is a full professor in the Department of Sexology at the Université du Québec à Montréal and holds the Canada Research Chair Tier 1 on Interpersonal Trauma and Resilience. Her main research interests focus on child sexual abuse and dating violence.