SURVEY OF INCIDENCE OF AND PHYSICIANS' ATTITUDES TOWARD SEXUAL ASSAULT

• NCJ Number: 36644
• Journal: Public Health Reports Volume: 91 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH-APRIL 1976) Pages: 103-109
• Author(s): L S MCGUIRE; M STERN
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Superintendent of Documents, GPO
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

THIS MARCH 1974 SURVEY GATHERED INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF WOMEN TREATED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT BY PRIVATE PHYSICIANS AND ON THE PHYSICIAN'S KNOWLEDGE OF, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD, ISSUES RELATED TO SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Abstract

THE HIGH INCIDENCE RATES FOR TREATMENT OF RAPE BY PRIVATE PHYSICIANS THAT HAVE BEEN SPECULATED IN THE LITERATURE WERE NOT CONFIRMED BY THE SURVEY RESULTS. SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE 458 PHYSICIANS RESPONDING TO THE SURVEY REPORTED SEEING NO RAPE VICTIMS DURING THE STUDY YEAR. TEN FACTUAL QUESTIONS ABOUT RAPE WERE SENT TO 1010 PHYSICIANS AND GIVEN TO 258 UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS OF BOTH SEXES. BOTH THE RESPONDING PHYSICIANS AND THE STUDENTS ANSWERED APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT OF THE QUESTIONS CORRECTLY (THAT IS, SELECTED THE ANSWERS THAT BEST REFLECT CURRENT UNDERSTANDING ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT). THE RESPONDENT'S ATTITUDES TOWARD SEXUAL ASSAULT WERE INFERRED FROM THE DIRECTION OF THEIR RESPONSES. PHYSICIANS WERE SEEN TO SHARE ATTITUDES SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE MALE STUDENTS. THE FEMLAE STUDENTS TENDED TO OVERESTIMATE THE INCIDENCE OF RAPE, THE PHYSICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH IT, AND THE TIMING OF ITS PSYCHOLOGICAL AFTER EFFECTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)