Barriers to Reporting Sexual Victimization: Prevalence and Correlates among Undergraduate Women

This study examined the cognitive processes underlying self–other differences in women’s judgments of sexual victimization risk, as well as individual difference factors associated with those processes. Participants were 518 undergraduate women between the ages of 18 and 24. The majority of the women were either White (47.5%) or Hispanic (31.9%). Stimuli were 81 vignettes depicting social situations varying in degree of sexual victimization risk and potential impact on the woman’s popularity. Participants imagined either themselves (Self condition) or an anonymous undergraduate woman (Other condition) in the situations and classified each as high or low risk. Participants also completed the Sexual Experiences Survey, Sociosexuality Scale, and Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Participants’ risk judgments were modeled using two-level, logistic regression, which provided participant-specific estimates of sensitivity and threshold parameters. Women in the Other condition, relative to the Self condition, showed lower thresholds for judging situations as risky and greater sensitivity to risk-relevant information when judging risk. Women higher in sociosexuality showed higher thresholds and reduced sensitivity to both risk and popularity impact information when judging risk, while women higher in rape myth acceptance were more sensitive to popularity impact information when judging risk. These findings suggest that self–other differences in sexual victimization risk judgments are due to differences in both sensitivity and threshold. Sexual assault prevention interventions for college women may be improved by addressing these cognitive processes.

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The mediating role of trauma-related symptoms in the relationship between sexual victimization and physical health symptomatology in undergraduate women

Journal of Traumatic Stress ◽

10.1002/jts.21666 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 79-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Erin C. Tansill ◽

Katie M. Edwards ◽

Megan C. Kearns ◽

Christine A. Gidycz ◽

Karen S. Calhoun

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

The Relationship

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Ethnicity and Sexual Attitudes Affect Women’s Judgments of Sexual Victimization Risk

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801216640382 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 163-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jennifer N. Crawford ◽

Kari A. Leiting ◽

Elizabeth A. Yeater ◽

Steven P. Verney ◽

Kathryn L. Lenberg

Keyword(s):

Sexual Victimization ◽

Sexual Attitudes ◽

Sexual Experience ◽

Ethnically Diverse ◽

Indian Women ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Victimization Risk ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Victimization History ◽

Hispanic White

This study evaluated the effects of ethnicity, sexual attitudes, and sexual victimization history on women’s judgments of sexual victimization risk in a set of dating and social scenarios. An ethnically diverse sample of undergraduate women ( n = 408) were asked to rate how risky the situations were in terms of having an unwanted sexual experience. American Indian women rated the situations as more risky than did non-Hispanic White or Hispanic women. In addition, participants with more positive attitudes toward a range of sexual experiences rated the situations as less risky than did women with less positive attitudes. Possible implications are discussed.

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Predicting Body-Esteem Based on Type of Sexual Victimization Experience

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260521997439 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052199743

Author(s):

Suzanne L. Osman ◽

Jamie P. Nicholson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Coercion ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Short Form ◽

Body Esteem ◽

Sexual Contact ◽

The Body ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

History Of ◽

Positive Feelings ◽

Victimization Experience

Almost no research exists examining the relationship between body-esteem and sexual victimization experience in adulthood. The current study contributes to the literature by examining body-esteem based on type of sexual victimization experience (i.e., none, sexual contact, attempted sexual coercion, sexual coercion, attempted rape, rape). Participants included undergraduate women ( n = 750) who completed the Body-Esteem Scale ( Franzoi & Shields, 1984 ) and the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization ( Koss et al., 2007 ), and had either no history of sexual victimization experience or experience within the past year. Women with no sexual victimization experience did not differ from women with sexual contact experience, but both groups reported higher body-esteem than women with coercion, attempted coercion, and rape experience. These three latter groups did not differ from one another, but each reported lower body-esteem than women with attempted rape experience, who reported higher body-esteem than those with no experience. Findings are preliminary but suggest that body-esteem may be negatively associated with some types of sexual victimization experience (attempted and completed coercion, rape), but not others (sexual contact, attempted rape), and escaping rape may increase positive feelings toward one’s body.

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Sexual Assault, Campus Resource Use, and Psychological Distress in Undergraduate Women

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260519884689 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 088626051988468

Author(s):

Amy C. Graham ◽

R. Kevin Mallinson ◽

Jenna R. Krall ◽

Sandra L. Annan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Sexual Assault ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Resource Use ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Sexual Assaults ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Undergraduate Women

Undergraduate women are at high risk of experiencing sexual assault during their college years. Research has established a strong link between sexual victimization and psychological distress. Although the relationship between sexual victimization and distress has been established, little is known about how the use of university-affiliated sexual assault resources influences mental health outcomes for survivors. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to describe the characteristics of women who used campus survivor resources following a sexual assault during college, examine correlates of campus resource use, and examine correlates and predictors of mental health of women who have been sexually assaulted during college. An online anonymous survey was sent to undergraduate women at two public universities in a mid-Atlantic state. Participants were female, undergraduate students ( N = 362) who had been sexually assaulted during their time at college. Few women ( n = 98, 27.1%) used campus resources following a sexual assault. We found significant relationships between participants’ use of campus survivor resources and experiencing a sexual assault prior to entering college, experiencing more severe sexual assaults, acknowledging the assault as a rape, feeling more self-blame, and experiencing more psychological distress. Campus resource use was significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. The cross-sectional nature of this study limited our ability to explore the reason for this. Further research is needed to explore the role campus resources play in supporting survivors during the recovery process. Given the high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses and the known negative psychological impact of sexual assault, it is imperative that campuses offer resources that are effective in meeting the needs of survivors.

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Body Dissatisfaction and Sexual Victimization among College Women

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3.907 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 907-911 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robert E. Billingham ◽

Julia Lee Patterson

Keyword(s):

Body Dissatisfaction ◽

College Women ◽

Sexual Coercion ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Scale Analysis ◽

Lower Body ◽

Dating Relationships ◽

Never Married ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Negative Effect

109 white, never-married undergraduate women between the ages of 17 and 24 years completed both a Body Dissatisfaction scale and a sexual coercion scale. Analysis showed no over-all correlation between body-dissatisfaction scores and sexual victimization scores. Since the correlations were as anticipated, the lack of significance may reflect the small group sizes. Women with higher and those with lower body-dissatisfaction scores were not different in mean sexual victimization scores, suggesting that women's body dissatisfaction may not be associated with risk for sexual victimization. There was a significantly higher mean body-dissatisfaction score for women who reported that they had experienced sexual victimization in dating relationships than for women who reported having had no such experience. Perhaps experiencing sexual victimization has a negative effect on how women view their bodies. This study suggests a complex link between sexual victimization and body dissatisfaction in women.

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The Role of Sexual Victimization in Women’s Perceptions of Others’ Sexual Interest

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260502238540 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 50-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Patricia L. N. Donat ◽

Barrie Bondurant

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behaviors ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Sexual Interest ◽

Target Behaviors ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Verbal Coercion ◽

Women’S Perceptions ◽

The Relationship ◽

Sexually Victimized

This study investigated the relationship between women’s sexual victimization experiences and their perceptions of sexual interest for an actor’s mundane, romantic, and sexual behaviors. Three hundred twenty-nine undergraduate women were divided into four mutually exclusive categories: women sexually victimized through verbal coercion, through intoxication, through force or threat of force, and women who reported only consensual sexual experiences. The women rated the sexual connotativeness of a list of dating behaviors, rating either a male or a female actor. Overall, women perceived more sexual interest in men’s behavior than in women’s comparable behavior. Moreover, women who had been victimized through force or threat of force perceived more sexual interest than nonvictimized women in a man’s target behaviors. There was no difference among women for a woman’s target behaviors. Women who have been sexually victimized may become more vigilant of men’s behaviors after experiencing sexual aggression.

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Analysis of a Modification to the Sexual Experiences Survey to Assess Intimate Partner Sexual Violence

10.31219/osf.io/79g4v ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

RaeAnn Elizabeth Anderson ◽

Samantha C. Holmes ◽

Nicole L. Johnson ◽

Dawn M. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Short Form ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Sexual Experiences ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Two Samples ◽

Assessment Strategies

Greater accuracy is needed in the assessment of sexual victimization that occurs in intimate relationships. Existing assessment strategies in the literature often represent two distinct approaches – intimate partner violence specific strategies vs. sexual violence specific strategies. The current study compared multiple distinct strategies for assessing intimate partner sexual victimization (IPSV) and evaluated a modification that optimizes intimate partner and sexual violence specific strategies. Two samples of undergraduate women were recruited. Sample 1 (N = 236) completed the Severity of Violence Against Women Scales (SVAWS) and a modified version Sexual Experiences Survey–Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) in which participants were cued to respond both for romantic partners and non-partners (referred to as the SES-RP/NP). Sample 2 (N = 206) completed the SVAWS and was randomized to either the traditional SES-SFV or the SES-RP/NP. Across samples, the prevalence of IPSV varied based on the measure used (SVAWS = 11.7%; SES-SFV = 17.0%; SES-RP/NP = 25.4%). The SES-RP/NP identified significantly more IPSV than the SES-SFV, SVAWS, and prior studies. Both the SES-SFV and the SES-RP/NP were positively and significantly associated with the SVAWS. The results suggested that optimal measurement of IPSV would consider both intimate partner and sexual violence strategies.

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Women's Age of First Exposure to Internet Pornography Predicts Sexual Victimization

Dignity A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence ◽

10.23860/dignity.2021.06.05.01 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah J Harsey ◽

◽

Laura K Noll ◽

Melissa J Miller ◽

Ryan A Shallcross ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Coercion ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Sexually Explicit Media ◽

Internet Pornography ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Younger Age ◽

Sexually Explicit ◽

Pornography Use

Increases in the availability and accessibility of Internet pornography have led growing numbers of children to become consumers of sexually explicit media. Research has identified negative behavioral and attitudinal outcomes associated with Internet pornography use in childhood and adolescence, but few studies have examined sexual victimization as a correlate. The current study aimed to examine the association between age of first Internet pornography exposure and sexual victimization. Data from 154 undergraduate women yielded several important findings. Women who viewed Internet pornography unintentionally at a younger age reported more sexual victimization. Specifically, compared to women who were first unintentionally exposed to Internet pornography at age 14 or older, women with unintentional first Internet pornography exposure before the age of 14 reported more childhood sexual abuse, sexual abuse in adulthood, and more instances of sexual coercion and aggression. Women with younger age of unintentional Internet pornography exposure also reported more interpersonal sexual objectification than women who had never viewed Internet pornography at all. Age of first intentional exposure to Internet pornography was not related to women’s self-reported experiences of objectification, although this may be because women’s intentional exposure tended to happen at older ages. Overall, the results of this study suggest that women’s unintentional Internet pornography exposure at a young age may contribute to a potentially harmful sexual socialization. Early Internet pornography exposure in childhood should be considered a potential risk factor for women’s sexual victimization.

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Predicting College Women’s Self-esteem Based on Verbal Coercion Experience and Verbal Tactic Items on the Revised Sexual Experiences Survey

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211062989 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110629

Author(s):

Suzanne L. Osman ◽

Halle L. Lane

Keyword(s):

College Women ◽

Sexual Victimization ◽

Short Form ◽

Self Esteem ◽

The Other ◽

Careful Attention ◽

Sexual Experiences ◽

Undergraduate Women ◽

Verbal Coercion ◽

Victimization Experience

Verbal coercion experience is common among college women and has sometimes been associated with lower self-esteem. The current study examined self-esteem based on the two verbal coercion items included in the latest version of the most popular measure of sexual victimization experience, the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV; Koss et al., 2007 ). One item includes verbal tactics categorized as “threat” and the other item includes verbal tactics categorized as “criticism.” Undergraduate women ( n = 479) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the SES-SFV. Results showed that women who experienced criticism reported lower self-esteem than those who did not experience criticism. However, threat experience was not significantly related to women’s self-esteem. Findings support Koss et al.’s suggestion that criticism tactics are more negative than threat tactics, and imply that self-esteem may be negatively associated with some sexually coercive verbal tactics but not associated with others. Future researchers should pay careful attention to operational definitions of verbal coercion.

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