Examining Correlates of Child Abuse with Adult Attachment and Sexual Satisfaction Among Adults

Millions of children around the globe experience abuse every year, with over a thousand children dying within the United States in 2020 alone as a result of child abuse. Child abuse can take different shapes, such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, all of which can leave a lasting impact on the victim which can alter their childhood as well as their adulthood. Two aspects of adulthood that can be impacted by childhood abuse that are addressed within this article are attachment style and sexual satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse, adult attachment, and adult sexual satisfaction. This study has accomplished this by using a mediating model with adult attachment as the mediator in a sample of 30,507 partnered adults from a cohort study. Results from the mediation analysis illustrated significant, albeit modest in size, negative links between childhood physical abuse and adult sexual satisfaction through levels of adult attachment insecurity. These results are important as they encourage clinicians to consider the indirect impact events can have on individuals, the importance of considering contextual factors, and thinking systemically when examining the connection between events and concerns our clients present us with. Analyzing and understanding these dynamics can allow clinicians to better support their clients when addressing the impacts of child abuse, insecure adult attachment, and sexual dissatisfaction in adulthood.