Similarities and Differences in Trauma Bonding Among Young Adults in the U.S. and Kenya: Implications for Forensic Assessment.

Abstract

Trauma bonding-a phenomenon wherein victims become attached to their abusers-remains critical in forensic criminology, particularly within the sex trafficking context. Despite extensive trauma bonding research, few validated measures exist and studies addressing its manifestation in different cultures is limited. This study addressed these gaps by comparing findings from validation studies of the Trauma Bonding Scale for Adults (TBSA) among young adults aged 18-29 in the U.S. (N = 619) and Kenya (N = 538). Participants completed an anonymous Qualtrics XM survey containing demographic items, the TBSA, and a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measure. Findings revealed that PTSD correlated with and predicted trauma bonding in both U.S. and Kenyan samples despite differences in PTSD and trauma bonding symptoms between samples. Implications for forensic assessment, classification, and intervention are discussed, highlighting the need for valid trauma bonding assessment across settings to identify and address culturally diverse victims' needs.