OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated whether the level of distress in
sexually abused girls was predicted by the relationship of the
perpetrator to the victim, the kind of abuse, the use of force,
removal from the home, and race or ethnicity. METHOD: Seventy-five
girls, recently reported as having been sexually abused, completed
measures on depression, anxiety, and self-worth, which were then
trichotomized into distress levels. RESULTS: Penetration predicted
higher levels of distress on depression and self-worth measures. Force
predicted higher levels of distress on those measures when the
perpetrator was not a father figure and lower levels of distress when
the abuser was a father figure. CONCLUSIONS: These differential
effects may be related to issues of self-blame and responsibility that
vary with the relationship of the perpetrator and may be useful in
developing interventions.