NCJ Number
116065
Journal
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (1987) Pages: 525-534
Date Published
1987
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This study discusses the long-term reactions of a group of women rape victims, finding that even many years after the assault, the victims exhibited fairly high traumatic symptoms.
Abstract
The findings resulted from questionnaires from 72 women who had been rape victims an average of eight years prior to the study. The questionnaires covered the following areas: coping strategies, demographics, assault characteristics, postrape behaviors, and current level of functioning. Thirty-five percent of the respondents had a prior history of sexual assault as children or adults; they had higher levels of overall stress symptoms than those who did not report a history of sexual assault. The study found that women who reported their rapes to police had a better postrape adjustment, as did those who sought postrape counseling. When the women were tested to measure the degree and type of their coping behavior, it was found that neither approach nor avoidance was positively associated with recovery. The study points out that the trauma of rape is difficult to resolve and assimilate, making it necessary for researchers to continue longitudinal studies of rape victims' attempts to cope with rape trauma. 10 references. (Author abstract modified)