ABSTRACT
Rela t ionships b e t w e e n i n d e p e n d e n t a n d dependent constructs are o f ten m e d i a t e d b y other re levant constructs (see B a r o n & K e n n y , 1986; B i d - die & M a r l i n , 1987). These m e d i a t i n g constructs of ten p r o v i d e i n f o r m a - t i o n o n the i n t e r v e n i n g m e c h a n i s m s b y w h i c h people m o v e f r o m one state (e.g., c h i l d h o o d sexual abuse a n d a p o o r f a m i l y e n v i r o n m e n t ) to a n o t h e r (e.g., H I V - r i s k y b e h a v i o r ) . A l t h o u g h p r e v i o u s research has f o u n d a s m a l l l i n k b e t w e e n c h i l d h o o d sexua l abuse a n d subsequent H I V r isk (e.g., J o h n s e n & H a r l o w , 1996; Zier ler et a l . , 1991), o ther research suggests that explanat ions for these associations l ie i n the m e d i a t i n g m e c h a - n i sms that e x p l a i n the l i n k b e t w e e n these t w o constructs . O n l y w i t h a m o r e complete u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the mediators i n v o l v e d i n the r e l a t i o n - ship b e t w e e n sexua l abuse a n d p o o r f a m i l y e n v i r o n m e n t a n d H I V - r i s k y b e h a v i o r can appropriate a n d effective in tervent ions be d e v e l o p e d .
