Outcomes of Child Abuse: Increased Risk for Experiencing Violence in Adulthood Chapter 7 Social Dynamics of Family Violence, 2012

Outcomes of Child Abuse on Women Page 174

Statistics At least 50% of women have been physically abused before they are 18 years old. Women who were victims of child abuse Twice as likely to experience IPV than women who were not physically assaulted in childhood 46.7% to 19.% Women raped as minors are twice as likely to be raped in adulthood

Page 176 “Victims of childhood sexual or physical abuse are twice as likely to experience the same type of abuse in adulthood as their non- childhood victim counterparts.”

“Survival” Strategies Things that put victims of CSA at risk for IPV 1.Marrying as teenagers to escape incest and prostitution 2.Choosing intimate partners who could protect them from outside violence but who ended up abusing them

Sexual Scripts The set of cultural norms that govern sexual behavior Gendered sexual scripts in US Boys/Men Desire sex any- time, anyplace, any way Girls/Women Less interest in sex overall Less interest in multiple sex partners More conservative beliefs about sex practices Never initiate sex

Childhood Adultification Contextual, social, and developmental process Exposed to adult knowledge Assume adult roles and responsibilities Consequences of early consensual sexual intercourse Higher rates of unintended pregnancy Higher rates of STDs More sexual Partners

Consequences, cont. Consequences of exploitation premature sex engagement: Higher risk for drug and alcohol abuse Eating disorders Self-mutilation Consequences of teen childbearing: Failing to complete education Long-term dependency on “welfare” Overall higher fertility

Situational Prostitution Engaging in prostitution as the most efficient way to meet an immediate need Ex. “Trading sex” for drugs Liquor houses Apartment in public housing projects Women and children allowed to live rent free Running the liquor house Sex with woman whenever desired

Sexual Abuse and the Drive to Escape Page 185

Sexual Access for Protection Women trade sexual access of marriage for protection or support An escape from childhood abuser Economic dependency as a way to prevent escape Leaving abuser leads to poverty Ongoing impact of abuse Staying in abusive relationship because that abuse is familiar Protection from unknown outside threats

Personal Stories Evie You can’t imagine what it’s like to have to sit on the laps of men when you are a ten- year-old. I hadn’t even learned to ride a bike yet. Debbie He wanted to, like, use objects on me and all kinds of stuff. And I wouldn’t let him do it, and he would get mad. One time he got so mad, we was going down the road, and he ran his car into an overpass bridge. We were both in it, and he was going eighty miles per hour. He totaled the car, but we both walked out of it.

Personal Stories Andi “Hey, what do I have to lose right now? I have absolutely nothing.” Everything seemed pretty good for a minute. He got a job, but then one night he flipped out because he found out I had smoked a blunt and that I had been around some guys. We got into this fight and everything. He had just grabbed me, and like, slammed me into the wall. He ended up hitting my face against the wall. Candy I was always secure with him. He might try to hit me and he might try to kill me, but nobody else was going to do it. Nobody else was going to talk bad to me or hurt me or talk bad about me. That just wasn’t going to happen. I was secure in that sense with him. He was going to protect me from everybody else.

A Life of Illegal and Illegitimate Behaviors Resulting from CSA Only understanding of economic security is through dependency and illegitimate behaviors Never experiencing stability CSA, along with life of poverty has long term effects

Variation by Race/Ethnicity African American and white women experienced different forms/severity of violence Lethal and near-lethal violence in African American women Beat up Weapon used against them White women were less likely to report injuries that required medical attention African American women reported being hit in the head with a ball-peen hammer Threatened with a shotgun Beaten beyond recognition

Impact of Childhood Violence on Men Intergenerational transmission of violence theory Propensity toward committing violence is transmitted from parent to child, father to son Experiencing child abuse doubles one’s risk for abusing their partner Witnessing violence in childhood triples one’s risk for growing up to become a batterer

Impact of Prostitution on Sons Introduction to drug culture Began using drugs at an early age Learning lessons about women through the johns the mother “serviced” Women’s primary function is to satisfy men’s sexual needs Women’s own interests and desires are unimportant Women are not to be respected or trusted