Childhood victimization: desensitization effects in the later lifespan.

The hypothesis tested in this study was that young adults who report having been abused by parents or guardians as children would report less concern when confronted with hypothetical situations similar to the type of abuse they had reportedly experienced during childhood. In our study of nonclinical adults those who reported childhood victimization experiences showed diminished concern toward the specific kind of abuse situation encountered earlier in their lifespan.