Surveyed New Zealand undergraduate students. Found that 51.6 percent of 347 women reported sexual victimization and 25.3 percent had either been raped or experienced attempted rape. Prevalence data are almost identical to those found using same instrument (Sexual Experiences Survey) in United States. New Zealand men reported perpetrating…

Evaluations of antiviolence education suggest that trying to change attitudes can cause a backlash. This study provides a knowledge-based intervention measuring knowledge of information presented, attitudes about date rape, and self-reported physical and sexual aggression involving peers. Results show that students who attended the intervention…

Thirty-two adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and the Response to Childhood Incest Questionnaire. Respondents reported higher levels of both experienced and expressed anger than comparable STAXI norms. Discusses other findings. Research findings indicate the first empirical…

Problems in criminal justice system response to date-acquaintance rape and nonpenetration sexual offenses include (a) they are markers of a sexual offending career, yet are viewed as minor; (b) perpetrators are not held accountable in ways that reduce reoffense; and (c) criminal justice response disappoints and traumatizes victims. To address…

Attendance at trials of perpetrators could be retraumatizing for crime victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. To investigate this hypothesis, two studies were conducted in which retraumatization was defined as a significant increase in posttraumatic stress reactions. A cross-sectional study of 137 victims of rape and nonsexual…

This study examined the sexual victimization of 309 female students in Germany. The results indicate that the majority of the subjects have been victims of minor offenses and that a minority of subjects was severely victimized. As to the relation of victim and perpetrator, the milder offenses are more likely to be committed by strangers. In…

Although previous literature focusing on perceptions of victims of rape has examined how gender, race, and culture influence the attitudes one holds toward victims, these studies have yielded mixed results. This study compared perceptions of victims of rape across a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, religions, and income levels, while…

This paper presents a review of the research literature on the factors associated with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women victims of rape and sexual assault. Various studies have linked preassault variables (such as childhood abuse), and assault variables (including injury and perceived life threat during the assault)…

Political efforts by feminists in the 1970s and early 1980s resulted in the redefinition of rape as physical assault in Canada's 1983 rape law in the Criminal Code. This paper argues that treating a woman's sexuality as "property," as did the rape law prior to 1983, was correct. Redefining rape as sexual assault, and measuring the…

This study explores the existence of a continuum of sexual aggression among males and a corresponding continuum of sexual victimization among females. A 12-question Sexual Experiences Survey written in parallel versions for men and women was administered to 3,862 university students. Three levels of sexual aggression/victimization ranging from…

Administered the Sexual Experiences Survey to a national sample of women and men enrolled in 32 institutions of higher education. Women's reports of experiencing and men's reports of perpetrating rape, attempted rape, sexual coercion, and sexual contact were obtained. The findings support published assertions of high rates of rape and other forms…

Compared psychological and social characteristics of two groups of juvenile rapists (N=16) and a control group (N=16) of adolescents with histories of nonsexually assaultive behavior. Results showed that rapists who had assaulted younger victims seemed very different from both the rapists with older victims and the controls. Implications for…

Examined differences in responses to retaliation against sexual assault in a study of 107 students who read vignettes in which the victim or her fiance shot the rapist. Results indicated women regarded the retaliation as more morally justified and were more lenient in their legal judgments. (JAC)

The Media Ethics section of the proceedings contains the following 7 selected papers: "The Ethics Agenda of the Mass Communication Professorate" (Jay Black, Bruce Garrison, Fred Fedler, and Doug White); "What Would the Editor Do? A Three-Year Study of Student-Journalists and the Naming of Rape Victims in the Press" (Kim E.…

Describes the typical chronology and basic functions of health, legal, and social services encountered by rape victims. Suggests ways in which counselors can effectively participate in the delivery of rape-related services. (Author)