Re: APA statements

["Evan Harrington" <EVAN-H@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 11 Jun 1999 08:07:11 -0500 Jerry Jensen said:
>Researchers--
>
>then I have these questions:
>
>Can someone explain to me how the results of this meta-analysis of college
>students can be generalized to the whole population?  Is this called sample
>bias or what is the term?  A couple of other questions seem more

Rind et al. noted that most research on the effects of CSA have been
conducted using clinical samples, people in therapy because they have
some form of maladjustment and who were sexually abused.  We can expect
that these are the "worst" cases in terms of outcome, and most likely
reflect the "worst" types of abuse.  The tendency among nealr all CSA
researchers in the past has been to generalize from these clinical samples
to ALL who experience CSA.  This is sampling bias.  Rind et al. wanted to
see what the typcial reactions are to CSA among non-clinical populations.
To do this they examined the evidence of college survey and national
probability samples.  The results are fairly consistent in terms of the
proportions not demonstrating long term maladjustment.  These samples,
the authors argue, are likely to be more representative of the general
population than are the clinical samples which involved the worst cases.


>compelling....what about those abused persons who aren't as "resilient" and
>don't make it to or don't choose to go to college?   What about the age of
>the college students in these samples....is it just folklore that many CSA
>victims don't begin to "deal with these issues" until they are in their
>30's to 50's?

Rind et al. address the issue of the representativeness of using college
students, and the possibility that those with CSA may be less likely to
go to college.  As to the question of dealing with the CSA in mid-life,
I have no answer, except to say that some may do that and others not.


Evan R. Harrington, Ph.D.
American Health Foundation
New York City