A Developmental Model of Victims' Internal Attributions of Responsibility for Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Controversy has emerged within the field of victimology about the impact of victims' internal attributions of responsibility for their abuse on their psychosocial functioning. This article integrates developmental theory with relevant literature on child sexual abuse to differentiate the concept of internal attribution of responsibility. A typology of internal attributions of responsibility is presented, and potentially adaptive attributions are distinguished from potentially nonadaptive attributions. Implications for mental health service delivery are also discussed.