NCJ Number
127805
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This West German study examines long-term psychological effects on the victims of various types of sexual offenses.
Abstract
Over 4 years (1969-72), all cases of indecent assault reported to the police in Lower Saxony (8,058) were analyzed from a victimological perspective. In a panel study 6-10 years later, 112 victims representing the total sample were administered a battery of psychodiagnostic inventories. The interviews and the testing were conducted by psychologists. A total of 131 files of indecent assault cases that had been tried in court were studied for comparison. All of these files contained a psychological report on the credibility of the victim's testimony. Cluster analysis with 38 variables identified three groups of offenses with patterns of victim psychological aftereffects. Group 1 (57.1 percent) involved offenses of exhibitionism and comparatively harmless erotic sexual contacts with younger victims. All the male victims were in this group, and long-term psychological aftereffects were rare in this group. Group 2 involved more intensive sexual contacts. The suspects were most often known or related to the victim. One segment of the victims (only female) of this cluster showed no injury at all, and another segment had an injury index that fell within the average range of the entire sample. Group 3 (31.3 percent) involved sexual assaults under duress, forcible rape, and sexual contacts having highly emotional defensive behavior or attitudes from the victim. The female victims (exclusively) were older and the suspects younger than the average, and the assaults were reported immediately to the police. Victims in this group had the highest indices of psychological injury. Implications are drawn for victim services. 1 figure