Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “RAPE”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Sexual climate and reported rape: a state-level analysis.

Data on the US states are used to study two aspects of sexual climate: sexually liberal attitudes and sex magazine readership, and their relationship to reported rape. The two sexual climate measures are correlated (r = 0.50), but each also seems to measure a different facet of sexual climate: tolerance for the sexual behavior of others in the case of the Sexual Liberalism Index, and perhaps sexuality per se in the case of sex magazine readership. States in the Northeast have the highest average sexual liberalism score, and states in the West have the highest average readership of sex magazines. The relationship between sexual climate and the incidence of reported rape was investigated using multiple regression. Results indicate no relationship between sexually liberal attitudes and rape, but that sex magazine readership, urbanization, poverty, and a high percentage of divorced men are each significantly associated with the incidence of reported rape. The findings are interpreted within a theoretical model that posits rape as a function of social disorganization and hypermasculine gender roles and sexuality.

Attitude↗
PubMed2005

Effects of rape on men: a descriptive analysis.

Previous studies of the effects of rape on men have focused mainly on clinical populations. This study extended current research by investigating the effects of rape on a non-clinical sample of men recruited from the general population by media advertising. A total of 40 male rape victims were asked to provide details of their assaults, levels of psychological disturbance, long-term effects, and reporting issues. Results revealed that most assaults had been carried out using physical or violent force, in a variety of different circumstances. All of the victims reported some form of psychological disturbance as a result of being raped. Long-term effects included anxiety, depression, increased feelings of anger and vulnerability, loss of self-image, emotional distancing, self-blame, and self-harming behaviors. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research in the area and perceptions of rape.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Differentiating rapists and non-offenders using the rape index.

Some studies have suggested that phallometrically derived rape indices can differentiate groups of rapists and non-offenders. There are other studies however which cast doubt on this assertion, at least in so far as it applies to all but those few rapists who are sadistic. These studies have used rape indices which are derived from rapists' sexual responses to audiotaped descriptions of mutually consenting sex and brutal sexual assaults. It was hypothesized however, that stimuli which put more emphasis on the degrading and humiliating elements of rape would improve discriminability. Stimuli were compiled to test this hypothesis. The results indicate that neither rape indices derived from the physically brutal elements nor the degrading elements of rape were able to discriminate between rapists and non-offenders. Furthermore, these indices were not related to offence histories. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the assessment of rapists and theoretical considerations of their behaviour.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Criterion-related validity of a phallometric test for paraphilic rape and sadism.

Eight men admitting to sadistic fantasies or urges (fantasizers), 7 sadistic rapists (sadists), 14 nonsadistic rapists, 31 courtship-disordered men (men displaying exhibitionism, voyeurism, frotteurism, or a combination of these paraphilias), and 20 community controls were compared on their relative phallometric responses to stimuli depicting rape, violent rape, and nonsexual violence. This study extended previous research by including a group of men who admitted to having sadistic fantasies or urges, in contrast to rapists who are likely to deny any such interests because of possible legal or social sanctions, and by including a large comparison group of men with a paraphilia other than sadism. Criterion-related validity was greater after combining the sadistic and nonsadistic rapists: fantasizers, sadists, and rapists did not differ from each other; fantasizers differed from community controls in their relative responses to rape, violent rape, and nonsexual violence; rapists differed from community controls in their relative responses to violent rape and nonsexual violence; and courtship-disordered men differed from community controls in their relative responses to nonsexual violence.

Fantasy↗
PubMed1987

Toluidine blue in the corroboration of rape in the adult victim.

Objective physical evidence to corroborate a claim of rape is frequently absent. Genital lacerations are considered evidence that rape has occurred. In this study, toluidine blue dye, a nuclear stain, was used to detect vaginal lacerations. The detection of vaginal lacerations in reported rape victims increased from one in 24 to 14 in 24 with toluidine application. Toluidine blue increases the detection of perineal lacerations in adult rape victims and the presence of lacerations is supportive of the documentation of rape.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Piloting post-exposure prophylaxis in Kenya raises specific concerns for the management of childhood rape.

Thika District, Kenya, is the site of an operational research study on the provision of comprehensive post-rape care, including the free provision of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). It is a typical rural Kenyan district in terms of resources and patient throughput. The high rate of children attending for post-rape services was unexpected and had significant programming implications. An age-disaggregated analysis of existing quantitative data from the first 8 months of service provision was conducted. Ninety-four case records were reviewed, of whom 48 (51%) were in the age range 1.5-17 years inclusive. All three cases of male rape were in children. Children were more likely to know their assailant than adults and were more likely to be HIV-negative at baseline. The majority (86%) of children presented in time for PEP, with adherence and completion rates similar to adults but lower rates of 6-week follow-up. The use of weight bands to determine drug dosages greatly simplified the appropriate and early administration of paediatric PEP. The high rates of childhood rape and demand for post-rape services were an enormous challenge for service providers and policy-makers.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A family study of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder following rape trauma.

There is evidence that familial factors serve as determinants of risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially familial anxiety. This study investigates the relationship between chronic PTSD and family psychiatric morbidity. The sample was drawn from 81 female rape survivors with or without lifetime PTSD, 31 major depressive disorder controls, 20 anxiety disorder controls and 39 healthy controls. First-degree family members were directly interviewed (n = 285) and diagnoses assigned of major depressive, anxiety and alcohol or substance use disorder. Information was also available by family history for 639 relatives. In the directly interviewed sample, no consistently increased morbidity risk was observed for anxiety, PTSD, or alcohol/substance abuse in the rape survivor groups, but there was an increase in depression relative to the anxiety in healthy control groups. When comorbid depression in rape survivor probands was taken into account post hoc, an increased risk for depression was noted in family members of PTSD probands with depression, but not in relatives of PTSD probands without lifetime depression. Among rape survivor probands with non-comorbid PTSD, rates by history of familial anxiety and depression were negligible. In a logistic regression analysis, individual vulnerability to depression served as an independent predictor of chronic PTSD, along with specific trauma-related variables. In the family history group, results were consistent with those obtained from the directly interviewed group. Our findings clearly support the view that PTSD following rape is associated with familial vulnerability to major depression, which may thus serve as a risk factor for developing PTSD. The exact nature of this predisposition calls for further inquiry and there is a need to expand this study to include other PTSD populations. PTSD may on occasion represent a form of depression which is induced and/or modified neurobiologically and phenomenologically by extreme stress. Our findings may be a reflection of the sample composition, the current conceptualization of PTSD, or be related to study limitations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Rape of girls in South Africa.

Child rape violates human rights and causes immediate and long-term health problems for the child. In the 1998 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, we assessed frequency of rape in a nationally representative study of 11735 women aged 15-49 years. 153 (1.6%, 95% CI 1.2-1.9%) of these women had been raped (forced or persuaded to have sex against their will) before the age of 15 years. Our results show that younger women were significantly more likely to report rape than older women (p<0.0001). The largest group of perpetrators (33%) were school teachers. Our findings suggest that child rape is becoming more common, and lend support to qualitative research of sexual harassment of female students in schools in Africa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Crime scene analysis and the escalation of violence in serial rape.

The current study examines the crime scene behavior manifest by 108 serial rapists responsible for the perpetration of 565 rapes across various cities within the US. The goal of the current study is to identify which aspects of crime scene behavior reported to law enforcement by the victim are most useful in predicting, early in a series of offenses, which rapists are most likely to escalate into higher and, at times, life threatening levels of violence. Using 58 scales that quantify the verbal, physical, and sexual behavior manifest by a rapist in his interaction with his victim during his first reported rape and 36 modal variables that summarized approach, timing, demographics, and weapon usage across the series of rapes, the study attempts to differentiate between those rapists who escalate in their use of blunt force (Increasers) from those who do not (Non-Increasers). A logistic regression indicates that rapists who are white rather than of minority status and who, at the time of their first reported rape, rape their victims for longer periods of time and use more profanity are more likely to escalate in their level of blunt force than those rapists who do not exhibit these behaviors. The relevance of this type of predictive framework for law enforcement in its attempts to prioritize particular investigations is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk factors for rape, physical assault, and posttraumatic stress disorder in women: examination of differential multivariate relationships.

The National Women's Study, a 2-year, three-wave longitudinal investigation, employed a national probability sample of 3,006 adult women to: (a) identify separate risk factors for rape and physical assault, and (b) identify separate risk factors associated with post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-physical assault PTSD. This investigation differed from previous studies in that it prospectively examined risk factors at the multivariate, as opposed to univariate level. Overall, past victimization, young age, and a diagnosis of active PTSD increased women's risk of being raped. By contrast, past victimization, minority ethnic status, active depression, and drug use were associated with increased risk of being physically assaulted. Risk factors for PTSD following rape included a history of depression, alcohol abuse, or experienced injury during the rape. However, risk factors for PTSD following physical assault included only a history of depression and lower education.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Drugs used in acquaintance rape.

OBJECTIVE: To describe gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), flunitrazepam, and ketamine and their purported uses to facilitate acquaintance rape. Patient presentation characteristics, treatment regimens, processes to detect the presence of the medications by toxicology screening, and methods to avoid exposure are discussed. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE search from 1985 to 1998; additional references found within the articles; information obtained from the Internet. STUDY SELECTION: Clinical trials, reviews, and press releases concerning the use of GHB, flunitrazepam, and ketamine to facilitate acquaintance rape. Trials and reviews describing clinical effects, adverse effects, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and usage trends were evaluated. Literature judged to be pertinent by the author was included in the discussion. DATA EXTRACTION/DATA SYNTHESIS: Reports of the use of GHB, flunitrazepam, and ketamine in acquaintance rape appear in the medical literature and lay press. Many health care professionals may not be familiar with these medications, and information about caring for patients under their influence is limited. Victims lose their ability to ward off attackers, develop amnesia, and are unreliable witnesses. Because symptoms caused by these agents mimic those of alcohol, not all victims are screened for their presence. Legislative efforts to further limit the use of or access to GHB, flunitrazepam, and ketamine have been initiated at the state and federal levels. Pharmacists should know the symptoms of exposure to the three agents; they should understand treatment regimens, methods to detect the presence of these and other drugs that may have been used in a sexual assault, and techniques individuals can use to avoid becoming victims of drug-assisted acquaintance rape. CONCLUSION: Because of their extensive drug knowledge and frequent access to patients, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to educate patients and other health care professionals about the dangers of acquaintance rape drugs and methods to reduce their risk of becoming victims.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗
PubMed1998

Exploring negative dating experiences and beliefs about rape among younger and older women.

Although there is extensive research describing negative dating experiences and rape myth beliefs among university- and college-age women, there is little exploration of these issues among older dating women. An exploratory study that extends existing research by investigating rape myth beliefs and negative dating experiences of women ranging in age from 18 to 85 years is described. Participants (N = 115) completed a questionnaire which included a standardized measure of rape myth adherence (R-Scale; Costin, 1985), and a series of questions that assessed concerns about the potential for negative experiences while dating and actual negative dating experiences (ranging from unwanted affection to rape). There were remarkable similarities among younger and older women with respect to their dating behaviors and experiences. Women from both age groups reported being the target of negative dating experiences and being concerned about these experiences--with older women expressing slightly more concern. Older women, however, endorsed rape myths to a greater extent. This suggests that older women may be at greater risk for self-deprecation because they may be more likely to attribute the negative experiences they encounter to personal faults. Findings highlight the need for more life-span research of dating experiences and attitudes towards dating violence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Remaining radical? Organizational predictors of rape crisis centers' social change initiatives.

Rape crisis centers have undergone significant changes since their birth during the feminist movement of the 1970s. As has happened with many other radical social movements, there is growing evidence that the antirape movement has become more institutionalized. This research used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the current structure and functions of a national random sample of 168 rape crisis centers. An organizational-level model predicting involvement in three types of social change activities was tested: (a) participation in public demonstrations to raise awareness about sexual assault; (b) political lobbying for violence against women legislation; and (c) primary prevention programs to eliminate sexual violence against women. Results of logit modeling suggested that how long a rape crisis center had been in existence moderated the relationships between organizational characteristics and involvement in community activism. Findings of this study suggest that although many of today's centers bear little resemblance to the grass-roots collectives of years past, rape crisis centers have been remarkably adaptive in weathering changing political climates to continue to provide comprehensive services for rape victims.

Community Participation↗
PubMed1991

Processing of threat-related information in rape victims.

We investigated selective processing of threat information in persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by using a modified Stroop procedure. Subjects were 15 rape victims with PTSD, 13 rape victims without the disorder, and 16 nontraumatized control subjects. They were asked to name the color of four types of words: specific threat (rape-related) words, general threat (related to physical harm and death) words, neutral words, and nonwords. Rape victims with PTSD evidenced a longer response latency for color naming of rape-related words than for other target-word types. Response latencies of non-PTSD victims and nonvictim control subjects did not differ across word types. Possible mechanisms underlying the selective processing of threat material are considered, and clinical implications are discussed.

Cognition↗
PubMed1990

Sexually transmitted diseases in victims of rape.

The risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease as a result of rape is not known, in part because it is difficult to ascertain whether infections were present before the assault or acquired during it. To investigate this question, we examined female victims of rape within 72 hours of the assault and again at least one week after the assault. Of the 204 girls and women initially examined within 72 hours of the rape, 88 (43 percent) were found to have at least one sexually transmitted disease. These diseases included infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (6 percent of those tested), cytomegalovirus (8 percent), Chlamydia trachomatis (10 percent), Trichomonas vaginalis (15 percent), herpes simplex virus (2 percent), Treponema pallidum (1 percent), and the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1; 1 percent) and bacterial vaginosis (34 percent). Among the 109 patients (53 percent) who returned for at least one follow-up visit (excluding those who were found to be infected at the first visit or who were treated prophylactically), the incidence of new disease was as follows: gonorrhea, 4 percent (3 of 71); chlamydial infection, 2 percent (1 of 65); trichomoniasis, 12 percent (10 of 81); and bacterial vaginosis, 19 percent (15 of 77). There were no new infections with herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, Trep. pallidum, or HIV-1, but follow-up serologic testing was performed in only 26 percent of the patients. On the basis of our assumptions that most venereal infections present within 72 hours of a rape were preexisting and that new infections identified 1 to 20 weeks later were acquired during the assault, we conclude that the prevalence of preexisting sexually transmitted diseases is high in victims of rape and that they have a lower but substantial additional risk of acquiring such diseases as a result of the assault.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Attitudes toward women and rape among male adolescents convicted of sexual versus nonsexual crimes.

Adolescence is an important period in the development of adult sexual offending against women, yet it has received little attention in research on attitudes toward women and rape. The present study used the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS) and Burt's (1980) Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (BRMAS) to compare the attitudes of 31 male adolescents convicted of sexual assaults on women (rape, attempted rape, indecent assault) with the attitudes of 27 male adolescents convicted of nonsexual violent crimes. The results showed no significant difference between the two groups on either measure. Furthermore, a more traditional, conservative attitude toward women, as measured on the AWS, did not significantly correlate with the endorsement of rape myths as measured on the BRMAS. The findings are discussed with reference to the validity and reliability of these measures when used with adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Explaining wartime rape.

In the years since the first reports of mass rapes in the Yugoslavian wars of secession and the genocidal massacres in Rwanda, feminist activists and scholars, human rights organizations, journalists, and social scientists have dedicated unprecedented efforts to document, explain, and seek solutions for the phenomenon of wartime rape. While contributors to this literature agree on much, there is no consensus on causal factors. This paper provides a brief overview of the literature on wartime rape in historical and ethnographical societies and a critical analysis of the four leading explanations for its root causes: the feminist theory, the cultural pathology theory, the strategic rape theory, and the biosocial theory. The paper concludes that the biosocial theory is the only one capable of bringing all the phenomena associated with wartime rape into a single explanatory context.

Battered Women↗
PubMed1998

Evaluation of an intervention to change attitudes toward date rape.

The prevalence of date rape among college students is a major concern. Although much research has been done on risk factors for date rape, few researchers have specifically described interventions for the various stages of developing a date-rape prevention program. Previous programs have often relied on educational videos that feature a "typical" date-rape scenario, a format that some researchers suggest may have a negative effect on the way people engage in aggressive sexual behavior. A less violent theatrical production based on social learning theory and risk-factor reduction that resulted in a significant improvement in attitudes related to date rape among both male and female students at an elite Texas university is described.

Adolescent↗