Investigation of the relationships between cognitive distortions and loneliness levels with childhood abuse experiences of high school students

Abuse can be evaluated as a form of behavior that negatively affects the development of the child physically, psychosocially and emotionally. Childhood abuse and its traumatic consequences have a quality that greatly affects the individual's life. So, it's important to increase social awareness of child abuse and neglect, to plan for the prevention of abuse, to take protective and preventive measures for future generations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between cognitive distortions and loneliness levels with childhood abuse experiences of high school students. The study also aimed to examine childhood traumatic experiences differentiate with regard to gender, perceived income status, education of parents Study group was used consisted of 382 females and 321 males, totally 703 students attending at the different types of high school at Gumushane that located in the northeastern part of Turkey. The participants were asked to fill in a ''Personal Information Form'', ''Childhood Trauma Questionnaire'', '' The Interpersonal Distortions Scale'' and ''UCLA Loneliness Scale''. İn data analysis, SPSS 22.00 was used and Spearman Brown Rho Correlation Coefficient, Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test analysis techniques were applied. The results of the data analysis indicated, a statistically significant relationship was found between physical abuse sub-dimension of childhood traumatic experiences and avoid proximity sub-dimension of interpersonal distortions in positive way; mind reading sub-dimension of interpersonal distortions in negative way. Also, there is a significant positive correlation between sexual abuse sub-dimension of childhood traumatic experiences and avoid proximity sub-dimension of interpersonal distortions. It has been determined that emotional abuse sub-dimension of childhood traumatic experiences have a significant relationship in positive with avoid proximity sub-dimension of interpersonal distortions; in negative with unrealistic expectations of relationships and mind reading sub-dimension of interpersonal distortions. Furthermore, cognitive distortions predicted by sexual abuse sub-dimension of childhood traumatic experiences. Additionally, analysis showed that, there is a significant positive correlation between loneliness level and all childhood abuse types (physical, emotional and sexual abuse), also loneliness predicted by all types of childhood abuse. The results were discussed taking the studies conducted within the theoretical framework into consideration and some suggestions were made for researchers and practitioners.