program components that specifically address the devastating circumstances and the lifelong
impact of childhood trauma for women. However, the current findings indicate the need to
ameliorate the consequences of childhood abuse and household dysfunction for both men and
women. Previous studies have shown that the safety and comfort of women only groups increase
participation in treatment, such as the open discussion of sensitive issues (e.g., histories of
prostitution and sexual abuse) that women do not wish to discuss in the presence of men (Bloom
et al., 2004; Grella et al., 1999). It is possible that the discussion of such abuse is as
uncomfortable for men in mixed-gender environments as well. Thus, the safety of gender-
specific environments when exploring the impact of childhood trauma might aid the recovery for
offenders participating in substance abuse treatment, either in the community or in prison.
Study Limitations
Some limitations of our study should be noted. First, our measures of CAEs and mental
health were based on self-report. Thus, we were not able to validate participant’s responses with
objective measures (e.g., medical or legal records). Responses to the questions reflected the
respondent’s interpretation of the questions, including questions regarding physical and sexual
assault. However, the questions regarding such abuse and household dysfunction on the LSC-R
are very specific to avoid confusion and the LSC-R has previously demonstrated good criterion-
related validity. It is also important to consider that there may be gender differences in the
willingness to self-disclose adverse childhood events, such as sexual abuse, which could have
influenced the observed findings (Holmes & Slap, 1998). In addition, recall and disclosure of
past abusive experiences may be influenced by current mental health status. Second, we had a
relatively small sample size. Multivariate analyses sometimes resulted in small cell sizes, which
could have created an inability to detect significant differences. Lastly, the current study relied
on baseline data from the CDCR evaluation of inmates in the California prison system. The
Childhood Adverse Events and Current Traumatic Distress
2/22/2007
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Convention