A longitudinal study found that victims of rape are significantly more anxious, fearful, suspicious, and confused than nonvictims for at least a year after they were assaulted. However, there was improvement on those and on other measures of personality and emotional state over time. (Author/MJL)

Discusses the trauma experienced by women rape victims and focuses on a men's support group for male-significant-others of women who have been raped. Describes the developmental phases through which the male significant others of rape victims achieve resolution and the impact of the male's response upon the relationship. (Author)

Violence against women is identified as an outcome of the social structure and ideology of gender domination, particularly related to reproduction, sexuality and nurturance. Feminist strategies to achieve liberation through the criminal justice system must take into account the limitations of its structure. (Author/JAC)

Male and female subjects (N=186) participated in a simulated jury experiment in which race of the victim, race of the defendant, and amount of evidence against the defendant were varied. Results indicated racial similarity of the defendant and/or victim to subject jurors influenced levels of negative traits attributed to the defendant. (Author)

A study of 73 New Zealand women attending a sexual abuse program found that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were associated with higher levels of all psychopathology. However, the severity of PTSD symptoms was also associated with the extent of abuse which involved actual sexual intercourse. (Author/CR)

Investigated attitudes toward rape victims held by 144 undergraduates. Results showed that: (1) sympathy effect occurred for female victims, with both male and female raters; (2) masculine and undifferentiated raters showed sympathy effect whereas feminine and androgynous subjects did not; and (3) victims were attributed internal locus of…

One explanation for male sexual aggression implicates certain adverse consequences of male gender socialization. Two studies tested the hypothesis that sexually aggressive men would be more gender stereotyped and would manifest lower capacities for empathy and intimacy. Results were mostly supportive of the hypothesis. (JBJ)

Findings from national survey of approximately 1,925 U lesbians revealed that over 50% had considered suicide and 18% had attempted suicide; 37% had been physically abused; 32% had been raped/sexually attacked; and 19% had been in incestuous relationships. Almost one-third used tobacco daily, and about 30% drank alcohol more than once a week.…

Psychological and sexual variables were compared for white women, ages 18 through 22, who did (n=41) or did not (n=400) report prior forced sexual intercourse (FSI). Those who had FSI had lower internal locus of control and higher depression scores and needed and received more psychological help than those not reporting FSI. (Author/SW)

Explores the influence of gender and race on sexual attitudes and on experiences with sexual victimization. Analysis from 323 white and 60 black college students shows an influence of gender on sexual attitudes. There also is evidence of an interaction between race and gender on the acceptance of interpersonal violence and the acceptance of rape…

Explores issues surrounding sexual trauma and chemical dependency. Aims to provide direction for relapse prevention with a relapse-prone population and explores application of traditional milieu substance-abuse treatment for sexual-trauma survivors. Makes recommendations for working with sexual-trauma survivors who are also substance abusers. (RJM)

Using police reports and court testimonies, examined women's resistance strategies to rape. Results indicated that 85 percent of the women who resisted with physical force were responding to the offender's initiated violence. Women reacting with physical aggression to violent attack were more likely to avoid rape than were nonresisting women. (RJM)

Tested hypothesis that women's attitudes and fantasies about rape arise partially from their socialization to accept sexual aggression as normative. Female participants answered questions on childhood exposure to pornography, sex fantasies, and rape attitudes. Early exposure to pornography correlated to "rape fantasies" and attitudes…

On campus as in society, male-centered paradigms of sex role and identity are being challenged. A relationship-centered model of psychological development is currently of great interest. Areas of conflict between male and female students include stereotypes and political correctness, violence and rape, hostility toward women, the economy,…

Explored myths about rape and tendency to blame victim in high school (n=54) and college (n=46) students. High school males believed more strongly than did high school females and college males in rape myths and assigned greater blame to victims. For high school students, belief in myths about rape was associated with assigning more victim blame.…