The current meta-analysis examined the effects of sexual victimization (SV) on attentional bias for sexual threat. This relationship was also examined among victims of SV with and without a current diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The broader aim was to elucidate potential mechanisms operating between SV and negative health outcomes. As hypothesized, the findings supported a positive relationship between SV and attentional bias toward sexual threat stimuli, and subanalyses indicated that PTSD symptomatology significantly contributed to this association.
Keywords: PTSD; attention; attentional bias; sexual victimization; trauma.