Several investigations have demonstrated that individuals tend to blame the victims of personal misfortune. However, few studies have been conducted to determine the dimensionality of the victim blame construct. Previous research has distinguished between two kinds of self-blame: behavioral and characterological. Individuals may blame themselves…

The relationship between suicidal ideation and behavior and five types of sexual victimization is studied (N=393 female undergraduate students). Adult sexual victimization and childhood sexual abuse were related to the presence of hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Implications for future research, clinical practice, and preventive interventions…

Attempted to classify convicted rapists, child molesters, and three different control groups, based on information from various assessment sources. Results indicated that behavioral measures combined with life history data could accurately classify subjects well above chance rates. Fairly accurate classification was obtained for three of five…

Nonoffending mothers' (n=99) self-reported symptom distress was measured across 3 groups of sexual abuse types: incest, relative, and nonrelative. A multiple regression analysis of psychosocial characteristics indicated that a mother's perceived aloneness in facing the crisis and a personal history of adult sexual assault were positively related…

Study compares women college students who reported unwanted sexual experiences judged to constitute date rape with controls who reported no rape. Findings suggest that compared to controls, date-rape group had significantly higher scores on measures of overall childhood stress. Concludes that early forms of maltreatment (not specifically sexual)…

There is evidence that many women experience sexual assault, and that sexual assault can cause psychological and interpersonal problems. This study examined the psychological aftermath of sexual assault in a probability sample of female university students and employees (N=542), focusing on how various aspects of a victim's lifetime sexual assault…

Most research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been conducted on war veterans; little is known about the incidence of traumatic events, PTSD, and posttraumatic symptoms among other populations. This study was undertaken to assess the incidence of traumatic events of sufficient intensity to potentially cause PTSD among a sample of 440…

Examines the responses to the Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC) of college women (n=654) sexually abused as children, sexually assaulted as adults, sexually assaulted as children and adults, and nonabused. Results support the validity of the TSC as a measure of sexual abuse trauma and point to family patterns associated with prolonged symptomatology.…

While some researchers question whether women can be more vulnerable to sexual assault because of personal characteristics and/or behavioral styles, typical research designs into this question draw on retrospective comparisons of victims and non-victims, making it difficult to determine whether the observed differences are causes, correlates, or…

A unit within the Division of Student Affairs at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville is described. The Rape and Sexual Abuse Care Center has existed for 12 years, providing services to traditional and nontraditional students and community residents. The three programs at the center, the adult sexual assault program, the child sexual…