The Relationship Between Sexual Victimization and Body Esteem: the Mediating Role of Peritraumatic Dissociation

Like an epidemic, sexual victimization and body esteem are worsening public health troubles. Despite substantial research looking into the realm of sexual victimization and its relationship to body esteem concerns, there has been limited research exploring the more multifaceted relationship between these two factors. In addition, little work has been done examining mediating variables, such as peritraumatic dissociation. To explore these relationships, the current study hypothesized a mediation model where the relationship between sexual victimization and body esteem is mediated by peritraumatic dissociation. Using secondary data collection, participants were recruited from an undergraduate college sample and were administered the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), Peritraumatic Dissociation Experiences Questionnaire-Self-Report Version (PDEQ-SR), Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale (SATAQ-3), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), and Body Esteem Scale (BES). With the use of the PROCESS model 4, results did not support the study’s hypotheses that the effect of sexual victimization on body esteem concerns is mediated by peritraumatic dissociation. Sexual victimization and overweight preoccupation were associated with each other, but there were no other associations. Several limitations may have contributed to this nonsignificance, including additional possible mediators, such as the frequency and severity of sexual victimization and dissociation, the presence of other mechanisms, and broadening the sample that was used.