Factors Associated With College Women’s Labeling of Sexual Victimization

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 940-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay M. Orchowski ◽  
Amy S. Untied ◽  
Christine A. Gidycz
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Date Rape ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Perpetrator Blame

Despite high rates of sexual assault among college women, most victims do not label the experience as sexual assault or rape. Prior research examining labeling of sexual victimization has focused on women’s characterization of rape experiences as either not victimization or victimization. This study extends prior research by exploring factors associated with labeling various forms of sexual victimization as “not victimization,” a “serious miscommunication,” or a “sexual assault, date rape, rape, or crime.” A sample of 1,060 college women reported on their experiences of sexual victimization since the age of 14 years. Women who reported experiences of prior sexual victimization (n = 371) indicated their level of acquaintance with the assailant, assault disclosure, substance use at time of assault, attributions of self- and perpetrator-blame for the assault, and labeling of the experience. Most women who reported experiences of sexual victimization did not self-identify as victims, and 38% labeled sexual victimization as a serious miscommunication. Greater acquaintance with the perpetrator, higher behavioral self-blame, and victim substance use at the time of the assault were associated with labeling sexual assault experiences as a serious miscommunication. Implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Emotional Responses to a Sexual Assault Threat: A Qualitative Analysis Among Women With Histories of Sexual Victimization

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Silver ◽  
RaeAnn Elizabeth Anderson ◽  
Amanda M. Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
College Women ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
Self Blame

Sexual assaults against women are a leading threat to human rights and public health in the United States. Considering the high rates of sexual revictimization among women and the limited understanding of the mechanisms which fuel this phenomenon, the goal of the present study was to investigate the role of emotion in coping with a hypothetical threat of sexual assault for previously sexually victimized college women. A total of 114 college women with a history of sexual victimization listened to an audio-recording describing a sexual assault scenario and then described how they felt. A qualitative analysis paradigm was used to capture participants’ responses in an open-ended, real-time, experiential manner. Data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research—Modified methodology. Four main themes emerged (Negative Reactions, Indifferent Evaluations, Active Responses, and Cognitive Appraisal of the Situation), along with various subcategories, demonstrating the variability of women’s responses to a sexual assault threat. Many women experienced uncomfortable or distressing emotional reactions to the vignette, primarily through discomfort, but also through anger, anxiety, and being upset. Few women reported experiencing fear, and a small number reported experiencing self-blame. The low endorsement of fear and anger in our high-risk sample indicates emotional dysregulation as a potential mechanism of repeated sexual victimization and a promising target for clinical intervention. Overall, results may inform sexual assault risk reduction efforts and the empowerment of women who have experienced sexual victimization.

scholarly journals Emotional Responses to a Sexual Assault Threat: A Qualitative Analysis Among Women With Histories of Sexual Victimization

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052090801
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Silver ◽  
RaeAnn E. Anderson ◽  
Amanda M. Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
College Women ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Clinical Intervention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Sexual Revictimization ◽  
Self Blame

Sexual assaults against women are a leading threat to human rights and public health in the United States. Considering the high rates of sexual revictimization among women and the limited understanding of the mechanisms which fuel this phenomenon, the goal of the present study was to investigate the role of emotion in coping with a hypothetical threat of sexual assault for previously sexually victimized college women. A total of 114 college women with a history of sexual victimization listened to an audio-recording describing a sexual assault scenario and then described how they felt. A qualitative analysis paradigm was used to capture participants’ responses in an open-ended, real-time, experiential manner. Data were analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research—Modified methodology. Four main themes emerged ( Negative Reactions, Indifferent Evaluations, Active Responses, and Cognitive Appraisal of the Situation), along with various subcategories, demonstrating the variability of women’s responses to a sexual assault threat. Many women experienced uncomfortable or distressing emotional reactions to the vignette, primarily through discomfort, but also through anger, anxiety, and being upset. Few women reported experiencing fear, and a small number reported experiencing self-blame. The low endorsement of fear and anger in our high-risk sample indicates emotional dysregulation as a potential mechanism of repeated sexual victimization and a promising target for clinical intervention. Overall, results may inform sexual assault risk reduction efforts and the empowerment of women who have experienced sexual victimization.

College Women’s Assignment of Blame Versus Responsibility for Sexual Assault Experiences

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (14) ◽  
pp. 1671-1688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sapana D. Donde
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Perpetrator Blame

The present study investigated in a sample of college women ( N = 154) (a) assignment of self-blame, perpetrator blame, personal responsibility, and perpetrator responsibility for sexual assault; (b) differences in how women assigned blame versus responsibility toward themselves and the perpetrator; (c) significant correlations between blame and responsibility of self and the perpetrator and positive and negative post-assault outcomes; and (d) the underlying factors that explained different forms of blame and responsibility. The present study suggests a need for future sexual assault research to delineate and further examine the constructs of blame and responsibility. Implications for practice are also discussed.

Measurement Invariance of the Sexual Assault Script Scale (SASS): An Examination Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White College Women

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098549
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Yeater ◽  
Kristen N. Vitek ◽  
Ryan S. Ross ◽  
Meredith Blackwell ◽  
Katie Witkiewitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Hispanic White ◽  
White College

Rates of sexual victimization have remained steady over several decades, and preventative interventions to reduce men’s sexually aggressive behavior have been largely ineffective. As such, research has endeavored to find novel approaches to identify women at increased risk for sexual victimization. Sexual assault scripts, or “cognitive models” that women adhere to that guide their beliefs about sexual assault are posited to influence their victimization risk. Prior studies on sexual assault scripts primarily have been qualitative in nature; however, recent work yielded a 27-item measure of putative risk for sexual victimization called the Sexual Assault Script Scale (SASS). The SASS has four subscales called Stereotypical Assault Scripts, Acquaintance Assault Scripts, Assault Resistance Scripts, and Date/Friend Assault Scripts, which were found in prior work to be internally consistent and associated with putative risk factors for sexual victimization. The focus of the current study was to test the measurement invariance of the SASS among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women who were recruited in the prior study. Four hundred sixty-nine ( N = 469) Hispanic and 415 non-Hispanic White US undergraduate heterosexual or bisexual women from a Southwestern university in the United States completed the SASS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) replicated the prior four-factor model with an acceptable fit to the data, and tests of measurement invariance revealed the SASS to be invariant across Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women, suggesting that the SASS is measuring a similar construct in these groups.

Impaired and Incapacitated Rape Victims: Assault Characteristics and Post-Assault Experiences

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 439-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Littleton ◽  
Amie Grills-Taquechel ◽  
Danny Axsom
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Problematic Alcohol ◽  
Assault Victims ◽  
Problematic Alcohol Use ◽  
Assault Characteristics

Alcohol is the most common “rape drug,” with up to two-thirds of victims consuming alcohol prior to the assault. Surprisingly, little research has examined the assault and postassault experiences of victims who were impaired or incapacitated as a result of substance use, including alcohol, during a rape. Thus, the current study evaluated the assault and postassault experiences of a sample of 340 nonimpaired, impaired, and incapacitated college rape victims. Results supported that these three groups differed in several assault characteristics, including threats by the assailant, resistance by the victim, and relationship with the assailant. In addition, impairment and incapacitation were associated with several postassault factors, including self-blame, stigma, and problematic alcohol use. Results also highlighted similarities in victims’ experiences, including levels of postassault distress. Implications of the findings for future research investigating impaired and incapacitated sexual assault victims are discussed.

Risk factors associated with date rape and sexual assault of adolescent girls

1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith R. Vicary ◽  
Linda R. Klingaman ◽  
William L. Harkness
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Date Rape ◽  
Factors Associated

scholarly journals Factors associated with reporting of sexual assault among college and non-college women

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Spohn ◽  
Abby Bjornsen ◽  
Emily M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Sexual Assaults ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine factors impacting college and non-college women reporting sexual assault to police. The goal is to increase knowledge regarding differences in the rates of reporting and reasons for reporting across these two groups. Design/methodology/approach Participants were drawn from a national telephone survey of US women and a sample of US college women. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine factors influencing the reporting of sexual assault to police. Findings Non-college women were more likely than college women to report to police. Women who perceived their victimization as rape were much more likely to report to the police and women who had contact with a helping agency were also much more likely to report their assault. Contacting a helping agency is more relevant to non-college women’s reporting to police, while considering the assault a rape is more important for college women. Practical implications The results suggest that significant work is needed to encourage women in college to view sexual assaults as worthy of reporting. Boosting victim awareness and access to services is paramount. Providing education and empowerment to student victims to inform their perceptions about the definition of rape is vital, as women perceiving sexual assault as rape are more likely to report the incident. Originality/value The research significantly adds to the literature indicating differences in rates of reporting and the factors that impact reporting uniquely for college vs non-college women.

scholarly journals Differences in the Style and Sequence of Self-Defense Behavior in Relation to Sexual Victimization in College Women using a Laboratory-Based Scenario

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
RaeAnn Anderson ◽  
Shawn P Cahill ◽  
Douglas L. Delahanty
Keyword(s):  
College Women ◽  
Behavioral Response ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Date Rape ◽  
Defense Behavior ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Threatening Situation

Objective: During a potential sexual assault experience, an active, assertive behavioral response to threat (BRTT) can be protective while a non-assertive BRTT may increase risk. However, little is known about how the sequence of behaviors that a woman engages in during a threatening situation may be related to sexual victimization. The present study investigated the style and sequence of behaviors in college women’s behavioral response to threat using a lab-based date rape self-defense scenario. Method: 135 college women (113 with a history of sexual victimization) completed a lab-based self-defense scenario in which the threat stimuli and situational context were standardized. Participants also completed a comprehensive assessment of multiple BRTT styles and the sequence of behaviors utilized.Results: Most participants endorsed likely using multiple BRTT styles during the hypothetical scenario. Participants with a history of sexual victimization were more likely to endorse diplomatic and immobile style behaviors and using immobile behaviors earlier in the sequence than participants without a victimization history.Conclusions: Prior research has typically assessed whether respondents are likely to engage in one type of BRTT. The present results indicate that women often anticipate using multiple BRTT strategies and that these strategies are likely situation-dependent. Further, women with a history of sexual victimization may utilize different BRTT styles likely as a result of their prior traumatization.

Substance Use, Risky Sex, and Peer Interactions Predict Sexual Assault Among College Women: An Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052095872
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Yeater ◽  
Katie Witkiewitz ◽  
Maria Testa ◽  
Angela D. Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
College Women ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Risky Sex ◽  
Undergraduate Women ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Sexual assault is an unfortunately common experience among women in college campuses. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to gain a better understanding of the contextual determinants of sexual assault among college women. EMA reports inquired about sexual assault experiences, risky sex (sex without a condom and regretted hookups), and substance use (alcohol and cannabis use), as well as what activities participants were engaged in (e.g., pregaming, drinking with peers, and drinking with a casual sexual partner), and whether they experienced peer pressure to engage in casual sex. Participants were 103 freshman undergraduate women (18–24 years old) at a Southwestern university in the United States, who were unmarried, interested in dating opposite-sex partners, engaged in binge drinking (defined as having 3 or more drinks on one occasion) in the past month, and reported at least one experience of sexual intercourse in their lifetime. Participants completed reports (one random and two time-contingent) via EMA three times a day over a 42-day period. Compliance in completing EMA reports was good (84.2% of prompted reports were completed), and time-to-completion of reports once signaled was acceptable (mean = 26 minutes, median = 5.75 minutes). During the 42 days, 40 women (38.8%) reported 75 occasions of sexual assault. The odds of experiencing sexual assault were significantly greater during occasions of regretted hookups and unprotected sex. Additionally, drinking with peers and peer pressure to engage in casual sex were each associated significantly with occasions of sexual assault. Reducing risk for sexual assault among undergraduate women may be possible by targeting these behaviors and contextual features in near real-time via momentary intervention.

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