204-211 Luster

with a range of problem outcomes during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Adults who were victims of child sexual abuse often fear sex, distrust their sex partners, have decreased sexual drive and have multiple superficial sexual relationships.1 Some children who were sexually abused have been found to engage in sexualized behavior (e.g., atypical sexual play with dolls and playmates, or excessive masturbation) and have a precocious interest in sexual matters.2 Somewhat surprisingly, few studies have focused on the relationship between child sexual abuse and sexual behavior during adolescence, the developmental stage when experimentation with sexual behavior and relationships typically occurs.3 In their review of the literature, Kendall-Tackett and her colleagues found two studies focused on promiscuity in adolescent victims of child sexual abuse that had sampled a total of 128 sexually abused adolescents.4 Overall, 38% of victims were classified as promiscuous—35% in one study and 48% in the other. Neither study included a comparison group of nonabused adolescents, however, so it was not possible to determine how different the sexual behavior of the abused adolescents was from that of others. Fromuth’s examination of the relation-