Father-Figure Involvement Differentially Predicts Adolescents’ Risky Sexual Behavior Depending on Experience of Child Sexual Abuse and the Identified Father-Figure

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with maladaptive outcomes including risky sexual behaviors (RSB) in adolescence (Noll et al., 2011). Positive father-figure (FF) involvement (e.g., emotional closeness) may serve as a protective factor against RSB (Wright, 2009). However, it is unknown if the positive effects of FF involvement hold true for adolescents who experienced CSA due, in part, to the betrayal of a trusted caregiver – even if a FF was not the perpetrator (Finkelhor & Browne, 1985). On the other hand, children may identify their abuser as an important FF, perhaps due to cognitive distortions about healthy relationships (Trickett et al., 2011). Drawing from a larger, longitudinal study of adolescents who experienced CSA and their peers who did not, this project hypothesized that FF involvement would only be associated with fewer RSB in adolescence among adolescents who did not experience CSA. We further predicted that of adolescents who experienced CSA, those who identified their abuser as an important FF would exhibit greater RSB than adolescents who did not.

At wave 2, participants (N=510; M_age=16.53; 46% African American) completed a semi-structured interview of perceptions of FF involvement (e.g., closeness). Individuals were grouped into one of three groups: 1) no CSA (n=204), 2) CSA, but did not identify the perpetrator as a FF (n=240), and 3), CSA, and identified the perpetrator as a FF (n =33). At wave 4 (M_age=18.15), participants completed the Sexual Attitudes and Activities Questionnaire (Noll et al., 2003), a compilation of HIV risk behaviors, age of first voluntary intercourse, number of STIs, number of intercourse partners in the past year, and number of lifetime partners with whom RSB occurred.

Our hypotheses were partially supported. Indeed, results from a general linear model suggest that, controlling for age, race, household income, and household composition (i.e., single- or dual-parent home), adolescents who experienced CSA exhibited more RSB (F=5.33, p<.01). There was an overall significant effect of FF involvement on RSB (F=4.79, p<.001) and therefore group mean differences were examined. Contrary to our second hypothesis, those who reported "extreme" closeness to a FF when that FF was not the perpetrator did not significantly differ on RSB from those who had an "extremely" close relationship with a FF who was also the perpetrator (F=1.05, ns).

FF involvement may prevent RSB, but only for adolescents who did not experience CSA. Understanding RSB is complex and future research should focus on elucidating other aspects of FF involvement on RSB in children who experienced CSA. Policymakers should emphasize primary CSA prevention. Strengths of this project include longitudinal data and an ethnically diverse sample.