Marsha Runtz

University of Victoria | UVIC · Department of Psychology

A new instrument, the Psychological Maltreatment Review (PMR), is introduced and its psychometrics are described. The PMR examines adult retrospective reports of child psychological abuse, psychological neglect, and psychological support, measured separately for maternal and paternal figures. Male and female participants (N = 1,051) completed the P...

Three health symptom checklists were used to measure physical health concerns among university women in relation to prior child physical maltreatment (CPM) (20%, n = 153) and child sexual abuse (CSA) (19%, n = 143). A history of CPM was related to all three general areas of health concerns as well as to many of the specific subscales comprising the...

Disproportionately high rates of sexual revictimization have been noted among former victims of child sexual abuse (CSA), yet researchers have yet to determine the source of this apparent vulnerability to reexperience sexual violence. This study explores this issue by examining sexual self-esteem, sexual concerns, and sexual behaviors among 402 uni...

An online sample of 528 people were asked to respond to a hypothetical scenario: If a police car came up right behind you with its lights flashing, how much would you worry that you would be killed? Participants also reported on whether they experienced aggressive behavior by police in the past (provoked or otherwise) and, if so, completed a measur...

Background Some individuals who have been sexually assaulted as adolescents or adults have also been abused in childhood, although it is not clear how different forms of childhood maltreatment are related to adolescent/adult sexual assault, and how earlier abuse alters the relationship between sexual assault and current symptomatology. Objective W...

Objective: Based on the paucity of self-report measures of disorganized attachment (DA), we developed and tested a scale examining adults’ self-reported disorganized verbalizations, cognitions, and behaviors when discussing their childhoods. Method: The Disorganized Response Scale (DRS) was created and administered to 640 university students, and...

Les expériences de traumas interpersonnels en enfance (TIE; agression sexuelle, violence parentale) sont répertoriées chez certains survivants d’agression sexuelle vécue à l’adolescence ou à l’âge adulte (ASA), et sont associées à des symptômes traumatiques significatifs (anxiété, dissociation, perturbations sexuelles; Godbout & Briere, 2012). Il d...

Objectives: Survivors of early interpersonal trauma may experience relational problems, anger, impulsive and self-destructive behaviors, identity disturbance, and other difficulties that are associated with borderline personality disorder. Insecure attachment also has been documented in survivors and may be related to borderline personality-relate...

Based on attachment theory, we hypothesized that self-reported childhood experiences of disengaged parenting (DP) would predict adults' psychological symptoms even more than, on average, childhood sexual, physical, or psychological abuse. In a large (N = 640) university sample, bootstrapped multiple regression analyses indicated that although vario...

Capsule de recherche - Équipe de recherche FRQ-SC – Violence sexuelle et santé (ÉVISSA)

Research has shown that female survivors of childhood abuse (CA) are more likely than nonabused women to experience long-term physical health concerns. Adult attachment may influence this relationship given that attachment insecurity has been linked to poorer physical health and postulated mechanisms of action are similar. This study used structura...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern. Yet, despite an increasingly extensive literature on interpersonal violence, research on male victims of IPV remains sparse and the associations between different forms of child maltreatment (CM) and IPV victimization and perpetration in men remains unclear. The present meta-analysis...

The Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI; Briere, 1995), a measure of the psychological effects of trauma and other adverse events, was recently expanded and updated (TSI-2; Briere, 2011). This study evaluated four competing models of TSI-2 dimensionality and determined the predictive validity of the best-fitting solution. Data were collected from 679 adu...

This study tested a moderation model in which the association between child sexual abuse severity and negative sexual outcomes (i.e., sexual avoidance and compulsivity) differed as a function of relationships status (i.e., single, cohabiting, and married individuals). A sample of 1,033 adults completed self-report questionnaires online, and 21.5% r...

The empirical literature indicates that childhood emotional abuse (CEA) produces long lasting impairments in interpersonal relatedness and identity, often referred to as self-capacities. CEA has also been shown to negatively impact couple functioning. This study examined the role of identity and interpersonal conflicts in mediating the relationship...

symposium paper presented at the Canadian Psychological Association annual meeting (June 6, 2015), Ottawa, Canada.

A number of studies suggest that dissociation is reliably related to trauma exposure, and that inadequate regulation of posttraumatic distress may be a significant factor. We sought to examine whether affect dysregulation predicts dissociation in those denying any lifetime exposure to trauma. These relationships were examined in a general populatio...

The main objectives of this study were to test a theory-based mediation model in which the relation between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and dyadic adjustment is mediated through adult sexual avoidance and sexual compulsivity and to examine the gender-invariance of this model. A sample of 686 adults currently involved in a close relationship comple...

Revised criteria for PTSD in the DSM-5 include a dissociative subtype (characterized by derealization and depersonalization) that is present in 15% of men and 30% of women diagnosed with PTSD. The dissociative subtype of PTSD has been linked to higher levels of trauma (especially sexual trauma and childhood trauma), comorbid disorders such as speci...

Research has consistently shown that survivors of childhood abuse (CA) are more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviours later in life (e.g., Arriola et al., 2005; Raj et al., 2000). However, the majority of studies are conducted with survivors of child sexual abuse and are largely comprised of women. Some evidence suggests that both gender and o...

Beginning in childhood and extending across the lifespan, men and women both experience violence inside and outside the home and share many of the same effects following victimization, yet men are less likely to disclose victimization and to access psychological and health services. Untreated effects of child maltreatment (CM) may contribute to var...

Research and clinical studies have shown that attachment in intimate relationships is central to relational and psychological adjustment (Brassard & Lussier, 2009). Discomfort with intimacy (avoidant attachment), fear of abandonment (anxious attachment), and disorganized attachment are often seen in survivors of childhood interpersonal trauma (Godb...

Early interpersonal trauma (especially cumulative trauma) has long-ranging impacts on health, well-being, andinterpersonal functioning (Felitti & Anda, 2010). Aspects of intimate relationships that may be affected by early trauma include sexual functioning and satisfaction, attitudes toward sexuality, and attachment security. Adult attachment was e...

Clinical knowledge and an emerging empirical literature are highlighting many long-lasting deleterious effects of childhood interpersonal trauma on couple functioning. Early experiences of violence and maltreatment seem particularly to affect the subsequent ability of survivors to establish lasting, satisfying intimate relationships. This paper pre...

Les connaissances cliniques ainsi qu'une littérature empirique émergente mettent en lumière plusieurs répercussions délétères durables des traumas interperson-nels vécus en enfance sur le fonctionnement conjugal. Les expériences de violence et de maltraitance précoces semblent notamment affecter la capacité ultérieure des survivants à établir des r...

Early sexually abusive experiences are linked to greater risks of interpersonal and sexual problems in adulthood (Godbout et al., 2006; Lacelle et al., 2012). A number of empirical studies also suggest that adult sexual assault (ASA) is related to deleterious effects on survivors’ sexual and social functioning (Briere et al., 1997; Hanson et al., 1...

Previous studies highlighted robust relations between sexual victimization and psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression (Briere & Rickards, 2007; Godbout et al., 2006). Results of a growing number of empirical studies suggest that sexual victimization is related to deleterious effects on sexual functioning (Najman et al., 2005). The go...

This study investigated links between childhood victimization, adult attachment style, and adult physical health outcomes among women. Existing research has found that female survivors of childhood abuse are more likely than non-abused women to experience a host of negative long-term sequelae, particularly regarding mental and physical health conce...

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive problem that is associated with numerous mental health difficul;es and other adverse outcomes in childhood and across the lifespan (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance abuse; Barker-Collo, & Read, 2003; White & Widom, 2008). By identifying and understanding the contributing factors underlying the association...

Women with interpersonal trauma histories are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors such as early onset of sexual activity, high risk sexual encounters, and sex with multiple partners. While this association is widely documented, the mechanisms linking trauma history with an increase in sexual risk taking are not always clear. Psychologic...

The association between interpersonal trauma and adverse physical health is well-established, but not always well understood. One factor that may help to better explain this link is the altered perceptions of the self and others that tend to arise following a traumatic experience, and particularly trauma of an interpersonal nature. The present stud...

This retrospective, cross-sectional study investigated the association between childhood physical and psychological maltreatment and self-reported physical health concerns in adult women. The mediating roles of perceived stress and coping strategies were examined. Participants were 235 women (aged 18-59 years) recruited from the community. Semi-str...

Although research supports a link between sexual victimization and poor sexual health and functioning among women, the mechanisms through which these experiences are related remain unsubstantiated. This study examined depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) as potential mediators in the association between childhood and adulthood sexual...

This study investigated the links between sexual assault experiences, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and adverse physical health outcomes among undergraduate women. Existing research has demonstrated that posttraumatic stress disorder mediates the relationship between trauma exposure and physical health in general, but this has yet to be tested for...

Despite the importance of reproductive and sexual health as a component of physical well-being among women, the development of methods to adequately assess this construct has remained limited. Thus far, researchers have predominantly measured this area of health through the inclusion of reproductive symptoms on scales measuring overall physical hea...

The present study investigated 3 potential sources of variability in university students’ perceptions of sexual harassment in hypothetical professor-student scenarios: raters'gender, gender of the professor and student, and rater’ own sexual harassment. Participants were most likely to identify the interactions as harassment when they involved a ma...

The dimensionality of dissociation was examined in a combined sample of 1,326 general population, clinical, and university participants who completed the Multiscale Dissociation Inventory (MDI). Principal components analysis identified five moderately intercorrelated factors (mean r = .39): Disengagement, Identity Dissociation, Emotional Constricti...

This article describes the Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities (IASC), a 63-item standardized measure of disturbed functioning in relation to self and others. The seven scales of the IASC are Interpersonal Conflicts, Idealization-Disillusionment, Abandonment Concerns, Identity Impairment, Susceptibility to Influence, Affect Dysregulation, and Tens...

This article describes the Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities (IASC), a 63-item standardized measure of disturbed functioning in relation to self and others. The seven scales of the IASC are Interpersonal Conflicts, Idealization-Disillusionment, Abandonment Concerns, Identity Impairment, Susceptibility to Influence, Affect Dysregulation, and Tens...

Researchers have discovered a number of risk factors associated with adolescent dating violence; these include child maltreatment and high levels of conflict in teen dating relationships. This study examined relationships among adolescent dating violence, family violence, community violence, dating history, academic history, and various forms of se...

This study investigated whether sexually abused adolescent girls were more likely than non-abused girls to have experienced early pubertal maturation and to feel older than their peers (i.e. to have an older subjective age). The sample (ranging in age from 12 to 19 years) consisted of 22 sexually abused girls who were referred by clinical agencies...

A group of 775 women from a medium-size western Canadian university completed the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) along with assessments of childhood sexual abuse and physical maltreatment and a number of other psychological and behavioral measures. Multivariate analyses determined that women with a history of either form of child maltreatment had s...

This study investigated the nature of the relationship between child sexual abuse, adult attachment style as measured by the Relationship Questionnaire, and psychological adjustment as measured by the Trauma Symptom Inventory. Participants were 307 female university students, including 85 women with a history of child sexual abuse. Results indicate...

Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine whether coping efforts and social support mediate the long-term sequelae of child maltreatment. The hypothesized SEM fit the data well and indicated that the association between previous childhood sexual and physical maltreatment and current psychological adjustment appeared to be strongly med...

This article examines the long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse in six areas: posttraumatic stress, cognitive distortions, altered emotionality, disturbed relatedness, avoidance, and impaired self-reference. It is concluded that childhood sexual abuse has a variety of long-term impacts and that the measurement strategies used to demonstrate...

The present study examined child maltreatment and the coping styles used to deal with these experiences among 653 male and female students at the University of Manitoba. Over one third of subjects reported at least one form of child maltreatment prior to age 18: 12% of subjects had sexual contact with someone at least five years older before age 15...

Evaluated the effectiveness of a 9-wk program of group therapy for 5 girls (aged 7–9 yrs) who had been sexually abused. Results provided some support for the hypothesis that group treatment results in a decrease in problem behaviors as reported by parents. Decreases were noted by parents in Ss' internalizing symptoms, externalizing behaviors, and s...

Recent research suggests both the relative commonness and long-term negative psychological impacts of childhood sexual abuse. Based on these findings, a general theory of abuse-related symptom development is outlined.

A 13-item Dissociation scale is introduced, and preliminary data regarding its reliability are presented. Designed to complement the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90; Derogatis, Lipman, & Covi, 1973) and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL; Derogatis, Lipman, Rickels, Ulenhuth, & Covi, 1974), this scale may be especially useful in research on the effects...

Using scales specifically developed for this purpose, the present study examined university women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual, physical, and psychological abuse as they related to three types of current psychosocial dysfunction. Multivariate analysis revealed that, as hypothesized, history of psychological abuse was uniquely associa...

A 33-item Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-33) is presented, and the psychometric properties of this scale are summarized from four separate studies. Developed to assess the impact of childhood abuse on later (adult) functioning, the TSC-33 consists of five subscales (Dissociation, Anxiety, Depression, Post-Sexual Abuse Trauma-hypothesized [PSAT-h], a...

A survey was administered to 193 male undergraduate students regarding their sexual interest in children, as well as their responses to a number of questions theoretically relevant to pedophilia. In total, 21% of subjects reported sexual attraction to some small children, 9% described sexual fantasies involving children, 5% admitted to having mastu...

This file contains the TSC-40. It is freely available to all researchers. It is not to be used as a clinical measure or self test. Initial references: Briere, J., & Runtz, M. (1989). The Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC 33): Early data on a new scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 151-163. Elliott, D.M., & Briere, J. (1992). Sexual abuse trau...

Forty male and 40 female crisis center clients, evenly divided in terms of molestation history, were examined for possible long-term sequelae of sexual abuse. Although molestation during childhood was associated with previous suicide attempts and with elevated symptomatology on the Trauma Symptom Checklist, no differences between males and females...

The current study examined the incidence and long-term effects of sexual abuse in a nonclinical sample of adult women. Approximately 15% of 278 university women reported having had sexual contact with a significantly older person before age 15. On a modified version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, these women reported higher levels of dissociatio...

Little is known about the long-term effects of psychological or physical child abuse, despite recent advances in the related area of childhood sexual victimization. The present study used multivariate techniques to examine the relationship between four newly devised scales, measuring extent of psychological and physical maltreatment by mothers and...

The incidence and long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse were studied in a clinical sample of 152 adult women. Approximately 44% of female clients presenting to a health center crisis service reported a childhood history of sexual victimization. Prior victimization was associated with increased dissociation, sleep disturbance, tension, sexual...

Examined the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent suicidality in 195 women (mean age 27.4 yrs) presenting to the crisis intervention program of a community health center. As predicted, former sexual abuse victims were considerably more likely to have made at least 1 suicide attempt in the past (55% of the 133 Ss) than were non...

A questionnaire examining childhood history of sexual abuse and later (adolescent) behaviors was administered to a sample of 278 undergraduate women. Subjects with a history of sexual abuse were more likely than their nonabused peers to report “delinquent” teenage behaviors in four categories: school problems, conflict with authority, early sexual...

University Microfilms order no. UMI00383441. Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Manitoba, 1992. Includes bibliographical references.