Relationship between Borderline Personality Feautures and Childhood Abuse in Young Adults

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Borderline Personality features and childhood abuse (physical, verbal and sexual) in young adults as well as to investigate the significant differences of Borderline Personality features of childhood abused individuals and non-abused individuals. Moreover, this study investigated the significant gender differences of Borderline Personality features and childhood abuse. In addition, it also investigated the difference in the Borderline Personality features depending on the type of abuse (physical, verbal, sexual). For this purpose a sample of 210 participants was taken. Data collection was done using an informed consent form, demographic information form, Childhood Abuse Checklist (Ali, 2006) and Borderline Personality Test (Fellner, 2011). Results obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences using the Pearson’s r, t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis to test the statistical significance of the relationship of the variables. In light of the results, it was concluded that there is a strong correlation between child abuse and Borderline Personality features (p=0.8). It can also be determined that there were no significant differences in the Borderline Personality features between males and females. Moreover, it can be said that the abuse category which had the strongest correlation with Borderline Personality features was “Physical and Sexual Abuse” while the abuse category that had the lowest correlation with Borderline Personality features was “Verbal Abuse”. For future replications it is suggested that more theoretically sound, reliable and valid instruments should be used for measuring the variables.