The impact of child sexual abuse on adult women's possible selves and self-efficacy

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse has many long term impacts upon women. Abuse can impact the area of self-schemas including possible selves and self-efficacy. Adult women who had not been sexually abused as children (n = 36) were compared with adult women who had been sexually abused (n = 17). The Possible Selves Questionnaire and The Self-Efficacy Scale were used to determine impact of past abuse. Women with past abuse had higher negative now selves when compared to women without abuse but also had greater probable positive selves. No difference was found for self-efficacy. There was a significant correlation between self-efficacy and possible selves. However, very little correlation was able to be obtained from this sample for abuse factors with possible selves or self-efficacy.