Self-esteem, anxiety, and loneliness in preadolescent girls who have experienced sexual abuse.

This study sought to clarify and extend existing knowledge of the negative sequelae of sexual abuse by comparing levels of self-esteem, anxiety, and loneliness in abused and nonabused girls. Comparisons indicated that sexually abused children had lower levels of self-esteem than nonabused children, but that levels of anxiety and loneliness did not differ between the groups. These findings empirically confirm one of the sequelae of sexual abuse commonly cited in the clinical literature and point to the need for interventions designed to redress this adverse effect.