Full Text Papers

 

Below is a list of articles I have authored/co-authored for which a full text version is available. All of these articles are copyrighted by the publisher. Please contact the copyright holder (publisher) for any use other than personal scholarly use. See my vita for a complete list of publications.

 

Citation

Link/Abstract

Becker-Blease, K.A., Finkelhor, D. & Turner, H. (in press). Media exposure predicts children’s reactions to crime and victimization. Trauma and Dissociation: Lifespan Development and Family Context, a special issue of the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 9 (2).

Prepublication Full Text (pdf)

Prepublication Abstract:

In this study we examine children's reactions to three news events (September 11 terrorist attacks, summer 2002 kidnappings, and fall 2002 sniper shootings) in a national, representative sample of children aged 2 to 17. Media exposure was related to increased worry and changes in activities, with September 11 creating the most concern and shootings the least. More signs of stress were apparent among 10- to 13-year-olds, minority and low SES children, children with prior adversities, and children who lived in close geographical proximity. Girls aged 10 to 17 had more reaction to the kidnappings, suggesting that other features of target similarity may heighten a sense of risk. The results support moderating exposure for both younger and older youth.

 

Becker-Blease, K. A. & Freyd, J. J. (in press). A preliminary study of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and child abuse: A comparison of abused and non-abused children who have difficulty with inattention and hyperactivity.  Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma.

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Prepublication Abstract:

In this pilot study, we investigated differences in inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity as well as demographic factors in a community sample of 8- through 11-year-olds, approximately half of whom had experienced child abuse or neglect. Parents completed the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Test, the SNAP-IV, the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey – Parent version, and additional questions. Abused children had more severe impulsivity and inattention, but not hyperactivity, symptoms. Abused boys and girls had a similar age of onset of symptoms, while non-abused girls had a much later age of onset than non-abused boys. ADHD is a significant problem among maltreated children. These data support large scale studies investigating possible differences in etiology, presentation, and treatment.

 

Becker-Blease, K.A., & Freyd, J.J. (2007). Dissociation and Memory for Perpetration among Convicted Sex Offenders. Co-published in Brown, L.S. & Quina, K. (Eds.). Trauma and Dissociation in Convicted Offenders: Gender, Science, and Treatment Issues. New York: Haworth Press, and a special issue of the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 8, 69-80.

 

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Abstract. Sex abusers’ denial of their offenses poses serious problems for their victims, treatment providers, and researchers. Abusers deny their offenses for many reasons, including avoiding responsibility. It is possible that some abusers do not recall their offenses because of intoxication, head injury, or dissociative symptoms that affect their ability to encode or retrieve information. Self-reports of dissociation during childhood victimization, during the perpetration of victimizing acts, and in everyday life were examined in a sample of 17 convicted sex offenders. Half of the participants reported some forgetting of instances when they had sexually abused another person. Forgetting perpetration was related to both dissociation at the time of the offense and dissociation in everyday life. Dissociating while the participants themselves were being physically or sexually abused as children was related to both dissociation during later perpetration and everyday dissociation as an adult. The results support continued research and clinical work to determine the frequency of dissociative symptoms and amnesia among sex abusers.

Cromer, L.D., Freyd, J.J., Binder, A., DePrince, A.P., & Becker-Blease, K.A (2006). What's the risk in asking? Participant reaction to trauma history questions compared with other personal questions. Ethics & Behavior, 16, 347-362.

 

 

 

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Abstract: Does asking about trauma history create participant distress? If so, how does it compare with reactions to other personal questions? Do participants consider trauma questions important compared to other personal questions? Using 2 undergraduate samples (Ns = 240 and 277), the authors compared participants’ reactions to trauma questions with their reactions to other possibly invasive questions through a selfreport survey. Trauma questions caused relatively minimal distress and were perceived as having greater importance and greater cost–benefit ratings compared to other kinds of psychological research in an undergraduate human subjects pool population. These findings suggest that at least some kinds of trauma research appear to pose minimal risk when compared to other minimal risk research topics, and that participants recognize the importance of research about trauma.

Wells, M., Mitchell, K., Finkelhor, D., Becker-Blease, K. A. (2006). Mental health professionals’ exposure to clients with problematic internet experiences. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 24, 35-52.

 

 

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Prepublication abstract: This paper examines clients' exposure to problematic Internet experiences among a national sample of 2,098 social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health professionals. This analysis finds that mental health professionals are working with clients experiencing a range of problems related to Internet use. However, these professionals have generally not been exposed to training or information in the professional literature on the topic of working with clients with problematic Internet experiences. We identify several areas in which additional training is needed and review practical implications for mental health professionals.

Becker-Blease, K.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2006) Research participants telling the truth about their lives: the ethics of asking and not asking about abuse. American Psychologist, 6, 218-226.

See also:

5 comments to this paper

Our reply:

Becker Blease, K.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2007). The Ethics of Asking about Abuse and the Harm of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" [Comment]. American Psychologist, 62, 330-332.

 

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Abstract: Most discussions of the ethics of self-report research on abuse and interpersonal violence focus on the risks of asking participants about their experiences. An important element of the cost-benefit analysis--the costs of not asking about child abuse--has largely been ignored. Furthermore, little research has been conducted on the costs and benefits of child abuse research, leaving researchers to make decisions based on individual beliefs about such issues as the prevalence of abuse, the likelihood of disclosure, the effects of child abuse, and the ability of abuse survivors to give informed consent. The authors suggest that these beliefs tend to overemphasize survivors' vulnerability and ignore the costs of avoiding asking about abuse. In fact, these beliefs may reinforce societal avoidance of abuse and ultimately harm abuse survivors.

 

 

 

 

 

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White, B. P., Becker-Blease, K. A., & Grace-Bishop, K. (2006). Stimulant medication use, misuse and abuse in an undergraduate and graduate student sample. Journal of American College Health, 54, 5, 261-168.

 

 

 

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Abstract: In this study, the authors investigated the characteristics of use, misuse, and abuse of stimulant medication (primarily methylphenidate and variants) among students at a northeastern US university. Researchers sent an invitation to take an Internet survey to student e-mail addresses and passed 150 paper surveys in undergraduate classes, analyzing 1,025 (975 electronically) returned surveys. Sixteen percent of respondents reported abusing or misusing stimulant medication. Ninety-six percent of respondents who specified a medication preferred to abuse or misuse Ritalin. Men and women reported similar use patterns. Most respondents who abused or misused stimulant medication swallowed pills; 40% used intranasally. Reasons for abusing or misusing stimulant medication included improving attention, partying, reducing hyperactivity, and improving grades. Consistent with previous studies, results suggest that abuse of stimulant medication is a concern on college campuses. The results point to various reasons for and methods of abusing and misusing stimulant medication that may direct future research, prevention, and intervention.

Freyd, J.J., Putnam, F.W., Lyon, T.D., Becker-Blease, K. A., Cheit, R.E., Siegel, N.B., & Pezdek, K. (2005). The science of child sexual abuse. Science, 308, 501.

Freyd, J.J., Putnam, F.W., Lyon, T.D., Becker-Blease, K. A., Cheit, R.E., Siegel, N.B., & Pezdek, K. (2005). The problem of child sex abuse [Response to letters]. Science, 309, 1183-1185.

 

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Abstract: Child sexual abuse (CSA) involving sexual contact between an adult and a child has been reported by approximately 20% of women and 5 to 10% of men worldwide. A history of CSA leads to serious mental and physical health problems, substance abuse, and criminality in adulthood. Scientific study of CSA is currently underfunded, obscured by contentious forensic controversy, and fragmented by discipline. From public health, economic, ethical, and scientific perspectives, the authors of this Policy Forum recommend interdisciplinary consensus panels and increased intellectual investment in CSA research, prevention, intervention, and education.


From Jennifer Freyd’s website: Response: In the 19 August 2005 issue of Science 4 letters and authors' response.

Becker-Blease, K.A., & Freyd, J.J. (2005) Beyond PTSD: An evolving relationship between trauma theory and family violence research. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 403-411.

 

 

 

 

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Abstract: During the past 20 years, we have learned how similarly harmful are experiences of terror, violence, and abuse, whether they occur on the combat field or at home. The field of family violence has gained much from the field of traumatic stress, and collaborations between these two previously separate fields have yielded important new answers, as well as new research questions. The field of traumatic stress is poised to integrate, more fully than in the past, a variety of aspects of trauma such as social betrayal, as well as outcomes of trauma such as depression, criminality, and physiological harm that go beyond posttraumatic stress. The field of family violence has much to offer in this process. We look forward to improved research designs that will further our knowledge of how trauma affects aspects of people’s lives, including productivity, relationships, cognition, and emotions, in negative and positive ways.

Mitchell, K., Becker-Blease, K. A. &  Finkelhor, D. (2005). Inventory of problematic internet experiences encountered in clinical practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36, 498- 509.

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Abstract: People are bringing a variety of Internet-related problems into consultation with mental health professionals. This exploratory study used a systematic sample of mental health professionals and obtained both structured and open-ended information from 1,504 practitioners who reported having at least 1 client with an Internet-related problem. This article proposes an inventory of 11 types of problematic Internet experiences reported by youth and adult clients: (a) overuse; (b) pornography; (c) infidelity; (d) sexual exploitation and abuse; (e) gaming, gambling, and role-playing; (f) harassment; (g) isolative-avoidant use; (h) fraud, stealing, and deception; (i) failed online relationships; (j) harmful influence websites; and (k) risky or inappropriate use, not otherwise specified. The authors discuss the spectrum of cases within each category and implications for clinical practice.

 

Becker-Blease, K.A. & Freyd, J.J., & Pears, K.C. (2004). Preschoolers' memory for threatening information depends on trauma history and attentional context: Implications for the development of dissociation. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 5, 113-131.

 

 

 

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Abstract: Although the roots of dissociative ability are thought to lie in early childhood, little is understood about how or why children dissociate or how dissociative abilities develop over time. Previous cognitive studies of adults suggest that some dissociative adults use divided attention to keep threatening information out of awareness (DePrince & Freyd, 1999, 2001). This study utilized a divided attention memory task similar to those used by DePrince and Freyd (DePrince & Freyd, 1999), but modified for four and five-year-olds. Contrary to prediction, children with relatively high dissociation scores did not differ in their memory for charged and neutral pictures under divided attention when compared to children with low dissociation scores. Consistent with predictions, under divided attention, abused children remembered fewer charged pictures relative to non-abused children. The same pattern was found when comparing abused children with high dissociation scores to non-abused children with low dissociation scores. These results are consistent with the idea that some traumatized people use divided attention to keep threatening information out of awareness. Results are discussed in terms of a developmental theory of dissociation.

Kendall-Tackett, K. & Becker-Blease, K. A. (2004). The importance of retrospective findings in child maltreatment research. Child Abuse and Neglect, 28, 723-727.

 

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Becker-Blease, K.A., Deater-Deckard, K., Eiley, T, Freyd, J.J.,. Stevenson, J., & Plomin, R. (2004) A genetic analysis of individual differences in dissociative behaviors in childhood and adolescence. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 522-532.

 

 

 

 

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Abstract: Dissociation - a pattern of general disruption in memory and consciousness - has been found to be an important cognitive component of children's and adults' coping with severe trauma. Dissociative experiences include amnesia, identity disturbance, age regression, difficulty with concentration, and trance states. Stable individual differences in dissociative behaviors may represent a dissociative tendency trait that varies in the population independent of the influence of trauma. In the current study, we examined genetic and environmental sources of variance in some of these behaviors by comparing 86 pairs of adoptive siblings and 102 pairs of full siblings from the Colorado Adoption Project (parents' and teachers' ratings), and 218 pairs of identical and 173 pairs of same-sex fraternal twins from the British Register for Child Twins (parents' ratings). The study used a dissociation scale comprised of six CBCL items. Developmentally, there was no change in mean dissociation scores across middle childhood and adolescence, and individual differences were moderately stable. Both parents' and teachers' ratings showed moderate to substantial amounts of genetic and nonshared environmental variance and negligible shared environmental variance, and most of the parent-teacher agreement in their ratings was accounted for by overlapping genetic variance.

Becker, K.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2001). Legal remedies for sexual abuse survivors (book review of Sexual Abuse Litigation: A Practical Resource for Attorneys, Clinicians, and Advocates). Psychology of Women's Quarterly, 25, 258 - 259.

 

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Becker, K.A. & Freyd, J.J. (2000). Book review of Pillemer's Momentus Events. biography: an international quarterly, 23, 372-374.

 

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Last update: 2.4.08

 

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