Background. In modern psychological research, auto-aggression and self-harming behavior occupies the leading position. Many researchers point out direct correlations of childhood-related violence with later auto-aggressive behaviour and other forms of abuse.

The Objective of this research is an empirical study of the relationship between sexual abuse in childhood and subsequent eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and dissatisfaction with the body image in adulthood.

Design. The following methods have been used: the method of recording eating disorders (short form) (Morgan JF et al., 1999), The Body Satisfaction Scale, The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire: Short form (2003), The Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Inventory (1998). The sample consisted of 113 people. Average age = 19.9 years (standard deviation = 5.2): 104 females (average age = 19.8 years, standard deviation = 5.1) and 9 males (average age = 18.6; standard deviation = 4.1).

Results. The auto-aggressors who rienced sexual abuse in childhood tend to report on other negative aspects of their experience statistically much more often (p<0.05) than auto-aggressors without sexual abuse: emotional abuse of a child by adults, emotional neglect of a child by significant adults, physical (non-sexual) violence by adults, physical neglect (abandonment of a child). The results showed that autoagressors with childhood sexual abuse more often report about eating disorders than autoagressors without sexual abuse.

Conclusions. The study focuses on the influence of childhood sexual abuse on the occurrence of self-harming behavior in adulthood, and also considers the sexual abuse as a risk factor for other negative behavioural manifestations associated with auto-aggression.The results can be used for prevention, correction and psychotherapeutic work both with children and adolescents, and also with adults.

The paper examines psychological factors victim behaviour. The definition of victim behaviour is given and it is emphasized that such conduct is not necessarily passive behaviour of the victim. Victimization and behaviour can be active and aggressive. It is shown that antisocial, deviant behaviour of children and adolescents seriously increases the risk of victimization.

Family as the most important institution of socialization is considered both as a preventing factor and risk factor of victim behaviour. The role of the family in shaping the victim behaviour is revealed in the following issues: aggressive, conflict behaviour is personal inclination or absence of the “proper” skills; interdependence of the severity of punishment and child aggression; punishment for child aggression (between siblings): what is the result?; ignoring aggression – is it the best solution?; victims of sexual violence and causes of victim behaviour; demonstrative accentuation as a risk factor in rape victim behaviour; happy family – can it be a risk factor for victim behaviour? For a long time, social deviant personality development has been believed to deal with structural deformation of the family, which is defined as a single-parent family, i.e. absence of one parent (usually the father). It is now proved that the major factor of family negative impact on personal development is not structural but psychosocial family deformation.

A really happy family, psychologically happy family is the cornerstone of preventing victim behaviour. The victim behaviour being mainly determined by personal qualities does not negate this conclusion, but only strengthens it, as the qualities mentioned above are shaped in many respects within family socialization, are determined by family upbringing styles and features of interpersonal relationships inside the family.