NCJ Number
206417
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 331-351
Editor(s)
Vincent B. Van Hasselt,
Michel Hersen
Date Published
July 2004
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article reviews empirical studies examining the relationship of sexual victimization to women’s suicidal behavior with recommendations for future research.
Abstract
Suicidal behavior is an increasing problem in American society and it is well-established that women engage in higher rates of nonfatal suicidal behavior. In addition, studies have shown that sexual assault history consistently differentiates those women engaging in suicidal behavior from those who do not. This article reviews studies of general population samples and nonprobability samples to evaluate whether findings are consistent across sample types and to determine what differences may exist in associations of sexual assault and suicidal behavior in different segments of the female adolescent and adult population. It is argued that the disproportionate sexual victimization of girls and women may give rise to the greater likelihood of suicide attempts, through a variety of pathways, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and associated psychosocial factors such as life events, problematic substance use or abuse, and risky lifestyles and behaviors. Sexual assault history is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior in women across various types of samples, including general population samples of both adolescents and adults. A cumulation of stressors beginning with childhood victimization, which leads to increased risk of adolescent victimization, may set the stage for increasing some women’s risk of suicidal behavior. References