World Assumptions, Sexual Assault, Depression, and Fearful Attitudes Toward Relationships

• NCJ Number: 209502
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 286-305
• Author(s): Holly N. Harris; David P. Valentiner
• Date Published: March 2002
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the associations among world assumptions, history of adult sexual assault, depressive symptoms, and fearful attitudes toward relationships in a sample of 361 female college students.

Abstract

In addition to a demographics questionnaire, participants were administered the Adult Sexual Experiences Questionnaire, which assesses the adult experience (since age 15) of unwanted or forced sexual contact. The Assumptive World Scales (AWS) measures various beliefs about people in general, life events, and self concepts. Depression was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory, and sexual anxiety and avoidance were measured with the Sexual Aversion Scale. The Paranoia/Self Consciousness scale was used to assess participants' feeling that they were being watched more often than was the case, as well as their tendency to direct their own attention toward self. The Fear of Intimacy Scale assessed anxiety about close interactions in dating relationships. This study's findings are consistent with previous research that has shown sexual assault survivors are likely to be depressed and report sexual inactivity, increased levels of fear, and impairment in social functioning. Unexpectedly, the index of trauma severity was not significantly related to fear of intimacy. There was also modest evidence that sexual trauma experience is related to some dimensions of Assumptive World Scales (AWS). The close association between the AWS-Self scale and depression suggests that sense of self-worth is a feature rather than a cause of post-assault depression. There was also evidence that AWS-Benevolence and AWS-Luck have incremental validity in predicting depression. These findings are consistent with the concept that sexual assault contributes to viewing oneself as unfortunate and others as malevolent, which can in turn contribute to feelings of helplessness and depression. AWS variables also predicted sexual aversion and paranoid self-consciousness, even after controlling for sexual assault severity. 4 tables and 39 references