Re: Child Sexual Abuse Research

[julia watson <julia.watson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Kerry M. Wallis wrote:
> 
>         Hi folks,
> 
> I am full steam into my dissertation research and I'd like to know if
> anyone has any leads on my topic. Child Sexual Abuse as a predictor of
> Borderline Personality Disorder with attachment theory as a co-factor.
> 
> I have read Briere, Paris, Finkelhor, Kernberg, Clarkin, Widom.
> 
> Does anyone have any research leads for this topic.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> kerry
> 
> Kerry M. Wallis, M.S., CASAC
> Doctoral Student - Walden University
> Specialization - Clinical Psychology
> email address - kmwallis@ix.netcom.com
>                 kerryw@waldenu.edu
> Phone: 718 826-3967
> Fax  : 718 826-6013
> 
> "Invest in yourself, the dividends are priceless".
> 
> *****************************************
Dear Kerry,

Like you I am a doctoral student reasearching into the same topic area.
I have some other references that you might find useful. Dutton and his
co-workers have done quite a bit of work into adult attachment and
personality development with special reference to abusive violent men
and abusive antecedants.  He has found in his subjects evidence for
insecure attachment styles that correlate with borderline personality
organization.  Dutton uses as a guiding model for his research a trauma
attachment approach.  This approach maintains that exposure to abuse in
one's family of origin leads to the development of trauma
symptomatology, insecure attachment styles and, by implication, aspects
of BPD.  For a more detailed run-down of this approach and its
underlying assumptions you may want to take a look at the work of Bessel
van der Kolk who firmly believes in the utility of attachment linked to
trauma as a means of explaining the development of symptoms resulting
from CSA, not least BPD. Moreover, van der Kolk has considered CSA at
some length.  I give some examples of refs below:

 
Dutton, D.G. (1994).  'Behavioural and affective correlates of
borderline personality organization in wife assaulters.' International
Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 17, 265-277.

Dutton, D.G. (1994).  'The origin and structure of the abusive
personality.' Journal of Personality Disorders, 8, 181-191.

van der Kolk, et. al. (1994) 'Trauma and the development of BPD.'
Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(4). 715-730.

van der Kolk, B. (1996) 'The complexity of adaptation to trauma.'  In
van der Kolk, McFarlane & Weiseath (Eds.) TRAUMATIC STRESS: THE EFFECTS
OF OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCE ON MIND, BODY AND SOCIETY.  NY:Guildford
Press.  [This book is worth looking at since it has quite a bit of
useful info linking attachment to abuse and the development of disorders
and symptoms.]

I hope this will be of some help to you.  GOOD LUCK.

Julia Watson.
Oxford Brookes University & The Warneford Hospital, OXFORD.
U.K.