The Relationship Between Online Sexual Compulsivity, Dissociation, and Past Child Abuse Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling

Volumn 8, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 146-163

  Chaney, Michael P ^a   Burns Wortham, Carol M ^a  

^a OAKLAND UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

child abuse; dissociation; Internet; men who have sex with men; sexual compulsivity

Indexed keywords

EID: 84901714202     PISSN: 15538605     EISSN: 15538338     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/15538605.2014.895663     Document Type: Article

References (72)

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
2. Bancroft, J. (2008). Sexual behavior that is "out of control": A theoretical conceptual approach. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 31, 593-601.
3. Bancroft, J., & Vukadinovic, Z. (2004). Sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, sexual impulsivity, or what? Toward a theoretical model. Journal of Sex Research, 41(3), 225-234. doi:10.1080/00224490409552230
4. Banyard, V.L., Williams, L.M., & Seigel, J.A. (2001). The long-term mental health consequences of child sexual abuse: An exploratory study of the impact of multiple traumas in a sample of women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(4), 697-715.
5. Benotsch, E.G., Kalichman, S., & Cage, M. (2002). Men who have met sex partners via the Internet: Prevalence, predictors, and implications for HIV prevention. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31(2), 177-183. doi:10.1023/A:1014739203657
6. Bernstein, E.M., & Putnam, F.W. (1986). Development, reliability, and validity of a dissociation scale. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(12), 727-735.
7. Black, D.W. (1998). Compulsive sexual behavior: A review. Journal of Practical Psychology and Behavioral Health, 4(4), 219-229.
8. Blain, L.M., Muench, F., Morgenstein, J., & Parsons, J.T. (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, 36(5), 413-422.
9. Briere, J. (1996). Therapy for adults molested as children: Beyond survival. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
10. Brown, G., Maycock, B., & Burns, S. (2005). Your picture is your bait: Use and meaning of cyberspace among gay men. Journal of Sex Research, 42(1), 63-73. doi:10.1080/00224490509552258
11. Brown, R.J. (2006). Different types of "dissociation" have different psychological mechanisms. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 7(4), 7-28. doi:10.1300/J229v07n04_02
12. Cann, D.R., & Harris, J.A. (2003). Assessment of the Curious Experiences Survey as a measure of dissociation. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(3), 489-499.
13. Cardeña, E.B., & Carlson, E.B. (2011). Acute stress disorder revisited. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 245-267. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104502
14. Carnes, P. (1991). Don't call it love: Recovery from sexual addiction. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
15. Carnes, P.J. (2001). Cybersex, courtship, and escalating arousal: Factors in addictive sexual desire. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 8(1), 45-78. doi:10.1080/10720160127560
16. Carnes, P., Green, B., & Carnes, S. (2010). The same yet different: Refocusing the Sexual Addiction Screening Test (SAST) to reflect orientation and gender. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 17(8), 7-30. doi:10.1080/10720161003604087
17. Chaney, M.P., & Blalock, A. (2006). Boredom proneness, social connectedness, and sexual addiction among men who have sex with male Internet users. Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling, 26(2), 111-121. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1874.2006.tb00012.x
18. Chaney, M.P., & Chang, C.Y. (2005). A trio of turmoil for Internet sexually addicted men who have sex with men: Boredom proneness, social connectedness, and dissociation. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 12(1), 3-18. doi:10.1080/10720160590933671
19. Chaney, M.P., & Dew, B.J. (2003). Online experiences of sexually compulsive men who have sex with men. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 10(4), 259-274. doi:10.1080/713775414
20. Cochran, S.D., Mays, V.M., Alegria, M., Ortega, A.N., &Takeuchi, D. (2007). Mental health and substance use disorders among Latino and Asian American lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(1), 53-61. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.1.53
21. Cohen, L.J., Forman, H., Steinfeld, M., Fradkin, Y., Frenda, S., & Galynker, I. (2010). Comparison of childhood sexual histories in subjects with pedophilia or opiate addiction and healthy controls: Is childhood sexual abuse a risk factor for addictions? Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 16(6), 394-404. doi:10.1097/01.pra.0000390758.27451.79
22. Coleman, E., Horvath, K.J., Miner, M., Ross, M.W., Oakes, M., & Simon Rosser, B.R. (2010). Compulsive sexual behavior and risk for unsafe sex among Internet using men who have sex with men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39(5), 1045-1053. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9507-5
23. Coleman, E., Miner, M., Ohlerking, F., & Raymond, N. (2001). Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory: A preliminary study of reliability and validity. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 27(4), 325-332. doi:10.1080/009262301317081070
24. Coleman, E., Raymond, N., & McBean, A. (2003). Assessment and treatment of compulsive sexual behavior. Minnesota Medicine, 86, 42-47.
25. Cooper, A. (1998). Sexuality and the Internet: Surfing into the new millennium. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1(2), 181-187.
26. Cooper, A., Delmonico, D.L., & Burg, R. (2000). Cybersex users, abusers, and compulsives: New findings and implications. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 7(1/2), 5-29. doi:10.1080/10720160008400205
27. Corley, M.D., & Kort, J. (2006). The sex addicted mixed orientation marriage: Examining attachment styles, internalized homophobia, and viability of marriage after disclosure. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 13(2/3), 167-193. doi:10.1080/10720160600870737
28. Corliss, H., Cochran, S., & Mays, V. (2002). Reports of parental maltreatment during childhood in a United States population-based survey of homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual adults. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26(11), 1165-1178.
29. Danebeck, K., Ross, M.W., & Månsson, S.-A. (2006). Characteristics and behaviors of sexual compulsives who use the Internet for sexual purposes. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 13(1), 53-67. doi:10.1080/10720160500529276
30. de Ruiter, M.B., Elzinga, B.M., & Phaf, R.H. (2006). Dissociation: Cognitive capacity or dysfunction? Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 7(4), 115-134. doi:10.1300/J229v07n04_07
31. Delmonico, D.L., & Miller, J.A. (2003). The Internet sex Screening Test: A comparison of sexual compulsives versus non-sexual compulsives. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18(3), 261-276. doi:10.1080/1468199031000153900
32. Dew, B.J., & Chaney, M.P. (2004). Sexual addiction and the Internet: Implications for gay men. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 24(2), 101-114. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1874.2004.tb00186.x
33. Dew, B.J., & Chaney, M.P. (2005). The relationship among sexual compulsivity, internalized homophobia, and HIV-risk sexual behavior in gay and bisexual male users of Internet chat rooms. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 12(4), 259-273. doi:10.1080/107201605003-62306
34. Foote, B., Smolin, Y., Kaplan, M., Legatt, M.E., & Lipschitz, D. (2006). Prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric outpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(4), 623-629. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.623
35. Goldberg, L.R. (1999). The Curious Experiences Survey, a revised version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale: Factor structure, reliability, and relations to demographic and personality variables. Psychological Assessment, 11(2), 134-145. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.11.2.134
36. Grov, C. (2006). Barebacking websites: Electronic environments for reducing or inducing HIV risk. AIDS Care, 18(8), 990-997. doi:10.1080/09540120500521137
37. Grov, C., Golub, S.A., Mustanski, B., & Parsons, J.T. (2010). Sexual compulsivity, state affect, and sexual risk behavior in a daily diary study of gay and bisexual men. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24(3), 487-497. doi:10.1037/a0020527
38. Grov, C., Parsons, J.T., & Bimbi, D.S. (2010). Sexual compulsivity and sexual risk in gay and bisexual men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39(4), 940-949. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9483-9
39. Harrison, J.A., & Watson, D. (1996). Dissociative processes in normal-range functioning. Unpublished manuscript, University of Iowa.
40. Holmes, E.A., Brown, R.J., Mansell, W., Fearon, R.P., Hunter, E.C. M., Frasquilho, F., & Oakley, D.A. (2005). Are there two qualitatively distinct forms of dissociation? A review and some clinical implications. Clinical Psychology Review, 25(1), 1-23. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2004.08.006
41. Horton, E.G., Diaz, N., Peluso, P.R., Mullaney, D., Weiner, M., & McIlveen, J.W. (2009). Relationships between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, dissociative symptoms, and lifetime heroin use among individuals who abuse substances in residential treatment. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 29(2), 81-95. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1874.2009.tb00047.x
42. Hospers, H.J., Harterink, P., van den Hoek, K., & Veenstra, J. (2002). Chatters on the Internet: A special target group for HIV prevention. AIDS Care, 14(4), 539-544. doi:10.1080/09540120208629671
43. Internet World Stats. (2011). Internet world stats: Usage and population statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
44. Kalichman, S.C., & Cain, D. (2004). The relationship between indicators of sexual compulsivity and high risk sexual practices among men and women receiving services from a sexually transmitted infection clinic. Journal of Sex Research, 41(3), 235-241. doi:10.1080/002244990409552231
45. Kalichman, S.C., Gore-Felton, C., Benotsch, E., Cage, M., & Rompa, D. (2004). Trauma symptoms, sexual behaviors, and substance abuse: Correlates of childhood sexual abuse and HIV risks among men who have sex with men. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13(1), 1-15. doi:10.1300/J070v13n01_01
46. Kalichman, S.C., & Rompa, D. (2001). The Sexual Compulsivity Scale: Further development and use with HIV-positive persons. Journal of Personality Assessment, 76(3), 379-395. doi:10.1207/S15327752JPA7603_02
47. Kamen, C., Bergstrom, J., Koopman, C., Lee, S., & Gore-Felton, C. (2012). Relationships among childhood trauma, posttraumatic stress disorders, and dissociation in men living with HIV/AIDS. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 13(1), 102-114. doi:10.1080/15299732.2011.608629
48. Kelly, B.C., Bimbi, D.S., Nanin, J.E., Izienicki, H., & Parsons, J.T. (2009). Sexual compulsivity and sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men and lesbian and bisexual women. Journal of Sex Research, 46(4), 301-308. doi:10.1080/00224490802666225
49. Kuzma, J.M., & Black, D.W. (2008). Epidemiology, prevalence, and natural history of compulsive sexual behavior. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 31(4), 603-611. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2008.06.005
50. Leibowitz, G.S., Laser, J.A., & Burton, D.L. (2011). Exploring the relationship between dissociation, victimization, and juvenile sexual offending. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12(1), 38-52. doi:10.1080/15299732.2010.496143
51. Liau, A., Millett, G., & Marks, G. (2006). Meta-analytic examination of online sex-seeking and sex risk behaviour among men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 33(9), 576-584. doi:10.1097/01.olq.0000204710.35332.c5
52. Maynes, L.C., & Feinauer, L.L. (1994). Acute and chronic dissociation and somatized anxiety as related to childhood sexual abuse. American Journal of Family Therapy, 22(2), 165-175. doi:10.1080/01926189408251310
53. Missildine, W., Feldstein, G., Punzalan, J.C., & Parsons, J.T. (2005). S/he loves me, s/he loves me not: Questioning heterosexist assumptions of gender and romantic attraction. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 12(1), 65-74. doi:10.1080/10720160590933662
54. Muench, F., & Parsons, J.T. (2004). Sexual compulsivity and HIV: Identification and treatment. Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling, 19, 1-3.
55. Mulder, R.T., Beautrais, A.L., Joyce, P.R., & Fergusson, D.M. (1998). Relationship between dissociation, childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and mental illness in a general population sample. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(6), 806-811.
56. Noll, J.G., Trickett, P.K., & Putnam, F.W. (2003). A prospective investigation of the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the development of sexuality. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(3), 575-586. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.3.575
57. Parsons, J.T. (2005). HIV-positive gay and bisexual men. In S.C. Kalichman (Ed.), Positive prevention: Reducing HIV transmission among people living with HIV/AIDS (pp. 99-133). New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
58. Parsons, J.T., Bimbi, D., & Halkitis, P.N. (2001). Sexual compulsivity among gay/bisexual male escorts who advertise on the Internet. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 8(2), 101-112. doi:10.1080/10720160127562
59. Parsons, J.T., Grov, C., & Golub, S.A. (2012). Sexual compulsivity, co-occurring psychosocial health problems, and HIV-risk among gay and bisexual men: Further evidence of a syndemic. American Journal of Public Health, 102(1), 156-162.
60. Perera, B., Reece, M., Monahan, P., Billingham, R., & Finn, P. (2009). Childhood characteristics and personal dispositions to sexually compulsive behavior among young adults. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 16(2), 131-145. doi:10.1080/10720160902905421
61. Ray, W.J. (1996). Dissociation in normal populations. In L.K. Michelson & W.J. Ray (eds.), Handbook of dissociation: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical perspectives (pp. 51-67). New York, NY: Plenum Press.
62. Rosenmann, A., & Safir, M.P. (2007). Gay identity nonendorsement and the role of dissociative characteristics in a culturally diverse online sample of men who have sex with men. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 4(2), 18-26. doi:10.1525/srsp.2007.4.2.18
63. Schneider, J.P. (2000). A qualitative study of cybersex participants: Gender differences, recovery issues, and implications for therapists. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 7, 249-278.
64. Schwartz, M.F., & Southern, S. (2000). Compulsive cybersex: The new tea room. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 7(1/2), 127-144. doi:10.1080/10720160008400211
65. Shernoff, M. (2006). Condomless sex: Gay men, barebacking, and harm reduction. Social Work, 51(2), 106-113. doi:10.1093/sw/51.2.106
66. Skegg, K., Nada-Raja, S., Dickson, N., & Paul, C. (2009). Perceived "out of control" sexual behavior in a cohort of young adults from the Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39(4), 968-978. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9504-8
67. Smolenski, D.J., Ross, M.W., Risser, J.M. H., & Rosser, B.R. S. (2009). Sexual compulsivity and high-risk sex among Latino men: The role of internalized homonegativity and gay organizations. AIDS Care, 21(1), 42-49. doi:10.1080/09540120802068803
68. Somer, E., Altus, L., & Ginzburg, K. (2010). Dissociative psychopathology among opioid use disorder patients; exploring the "chemical dissociation" hypothesis. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 51(4), 419-425. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2009.09.007
69. Spiegel, D., & Cardeña, E. (1991). Disintegrated experience: The dissociative disorders revisited. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(3), 366-378. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.100.3.366
70. Tikkanen, R., & Ross, M.W. (2003). Technological tearoom trade: Characteristics of Swedish men visiting gay internet chat rooms. AIDS Education and Prevention, 15(2), 122-132.
71. Twohig, M.P., Crosby, J.M., & Cox, J.M. (2009). Viewing Internet pornography: For whom is it problematic, how, and why? Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 16(4), 253-266. doi:10.1080/10720160903300788
72. Varese, F., Barkus, E., & Bentall, R.P. (2012). Dissociation mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and hallucination-proneness. Psychological Medicine, 42(5), 1025-1036. doi:10.1017/S0033291711001826