Some articles on the link between experienced trauma (sexual or otherwise) and problematic sexual behavior.
It has been known for a long time that samples of individuals who self identify as sex addicts, are far more likely to have people with experiences of childhood sexual abuse, than control samples. But what about sexual abuse experienced in adolescence or adulthood?
I was recently asked to find some articles relating trauma and risky/compulsive sexual behavior, by a young woman who was struggling with her compulsive sexual behavior after she was sexually abused and/or assaulted in her adulthood. Although I couldn’t find anything that directly answered her questions I found some links between experienced trauma of all sorts, and hypersexuality. Here I post snippets from these articles so you can decide whether you want to read them or not.
First article is a research paper on collage women, who suffered abuse after the age of 11.
"the results of this study suggest that sexual assault, multiple trauma exposure, and especially ongoing abuse, even if they occur only in adolescence, and even if the event(s) are non–sexual in nature, contribute to risky sexual and self–destructive behaviors that have the potential to impair health and even to threaten life. Psychological reactions, in the form of the psychiatric disorders of MDD and PTSD, may further increase these behaviors".
Green, B. L., Krupnick, J. L., Stockton, P., Goodman, L., Corcoran, C., & Petty, R. (January 01, 2005). Effects of Adolescent Trauma Exposure on Risky Behavior in College Women. Psychiatry Washington Then New York William Alanson White Psychiatric Foundation Then Washington School of Psychiatry-, 68, 4, 363-378.
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Second article is related to compulsive sexual behavior in combat veterans as a coping mechanism.
“In response to this stress, the person will often turn to something that he or she knows will block the pain. Typically this is alcohol, drugs, or food, but if clinical observations are correct, growing numbers of these returning veterans are turning to compulsive sex for the relief. The resultant sexual behavior varies in type, but in every case, it has a direct and profound impact on the individual, the couple, and the family unit as a whole.”
Howard, M. D. (January 01, 2007). Escaping the Pain: Examining the Use of Sexually Compulsive Behavior to Avoid the Traumatic Memories of Combat. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 14, 2, 77-94.
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Third article is about compulsive sex in response to trauma, in the African American community.
"A driven sexuality is another mechanism that may have evolved over time as an attempt at mastery, but, shaped by trauma-bonding, it constitutes a replaying at some level of the original rape scene but now with some illusion of control.
The aspect of control is illustrated by Jeff, a 28-year-old African American man with 3 years of recovery from chemical addiction, when he described his participation in multiple relationships and casual sex with females from various support groups as “the only sense of control I have in my life, it’s as though I’ve finally found something that I’m good at”.
Robinson, D. W. (January 01, 1999). Sexual addiction as an adaptive response to posttraumatic stress disorder in the African American community. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 6, 1, 11-22.
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The last article explores childhood trauma in gay and bisexual men reporting compulsive sexual behavior, though this bit is about trauma in general.
Blain at al. (2012), note that "PTSD, one of the most common diagnosis following interpersonal assault, is associated with increased risky sexual behavior. . . . [and is] related to lower perceived control over sex".
Blain, L. M., Muench, F., Morgenstern, J., & Parsons, J. T. (May 01, 2012). Exploring the Role of Child Sexual Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Gay and Bisexual Men Reporting Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Child Abuse & Neglect: the International Journal, 36, 5, 413-422.
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To summarize, the research seems to show that there is a link between experienced trauma (sexual or otherwise) and problematic sexual behavior. This appears to be true independently of race, gender or when the trauma was experienced.











