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Prevalence of sexually transmitted disease infection in women alleging rape.

During a 2-year period ending in October, 1989, 110 women who claimed to have been raped were treated at the sexually transmitted disease clinic at Birmingham General Hospital. A total of 22 sexually transmitted infections were found in 14 (13%) women, of which Chlamydia trachomatis (in 8%) and Trichomonas vaginalis (in 6%) were the most frequently found pathogens. In none of these patients was it possible to determine whether infection resulted from rape or from voluntary intercourse with another person. The high prevalence of infection found in this study and in previous studies indicates that all women alleging rape should be investigated at a sexually transmitted disease clinic.

Adolescent↗

Health of homeless women with recent experience of rape.

There is limited understanding of the physical health, mental health, and substance use or abuse correlates of sexual violence against homeless women. This study documents the association of rape with health and substance use or abuse characteristics reported by a probability sample of 974 homeless women in Los Angeles. Controlling for potential confounders, women who reported rape fared worse than those who did not on every physical and mental health measure and were also more likely to have used and abused drugs other than alcohol. Results should serve to alert clinicians about groups of homeless women who may benefit from rape screening and treatment interventions.

Adolescent↗

Wife rape in a sample of psychiatric patients.

A descriptive study of 53 ever-married women currently being treated for primary depression or anxiety documented that wife rape is a significant negative factor in the lives of these women and is positively correlated with a history of childhood sexual abuse. The study identified the incidence of wife rape in this sample and described co-variables of the wife rape experience. The findings from this research may be used by nurses to increase the effectiveness of their care.

Adult↗

Acquaintance rape.

The author examines how culturally learned sex roles and myths about rape come together to give acquaintance rape a status somewhere between accepted practice and unacceptable crime. Risk factors, barriers to reporting rape, and factors that make college students a vulnerable group, are discussed. Institutional programs and resources are highlighted, along with a new educational approach using small group workshops.

Adolescent↗

Rape: sexual disruption and recovery.

In a longitudinal study of 81 adult rape victims reinterviewed four to six years later, effects of the rape on subsequent sexual functioning are analyzed. Most victims who had been sexually active were found to experience changes in frequency of sexual activity and in sexual response. Interview responses of victims are reported, and suggestions are offered for the counseling of rape victims and their sexual partners.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Patterns of behavior in adolescent rape.

A study of 67 rapes by 63 California adolescents has yielded a highly representative composite picture of the typical rape episode by a juvenile assailant. Previously unexplored behavior patterns have emerged, including prior drug use, impulsivity, and lack of victim provocation. These findings have practical implications for clinicians treating rape victims and for the rehabilitation of adolescent rapists.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

It is always the woman who is raped.

Rape is described as an act of power that is sanctioned by literature, myth, and culture. Rape is a dire experience for women because it implies total loss of self--the woman is a function, not a person. The victim experiences total emptiness and isolation from self and society. The author believes that an effective "treatment" for the rape victim is community. Women asserting themselves by speaking out about their experience validate themselves as persons.

Culture↗

Male rape: offenders and victims.

In an analysis of 22 cases of male rape in a community setting, the gender of the victim did not appear to be of primary importance to some of the rapists, but for others, males appeared to be specific intended targets, and the rapists' assaults were an effort to deal with unresolved and conflictual aspects of their lives. For all offenders the sexual assault was an act of retaliation, an expression of power, and an assertion of their strength and manhood. The impact of rape on the male victims was similar to that on female victims, disrupting their biopsychosocial functioning; however, male rape appears to be underreported due to the stigma associated with it.

Adolescent↗

Are there sex biases in rape counseling?

To test the common assumption that only women should treat rape victims, the authors examined the effect of therapists' gender on their counseling of 41 rape victims. The men and women counselors did not differ significantly in their descriptions of their affective responses to the patients or in their treatment recommendations. The women therapists rated victims as having more functional impairment on the Global Assessment Scale, possibly suggesting that they were more sensitive to the victims' distress. The total group of therapists viewed the rape victims more positively than they viewed other female emergency room patients, probably reflecting "undesirable" characteristics of persons who use this setting.

Adolescent↗

Validation of a French version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale in a rape-victim population.

OBJECTIVE: To appreciate the extent and the features of dissociation in a hypothesized highly dissociated population, rape trauma victims, while assessing construct validity and internal consistency of a French version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a simple screening instrument for dissociative symptoms. METHODS: One hundred and forty rape victims (mean age 23.6 years, 9% male) consecutively attending a Consultation for Victims of Psychological Trauma at the university hospital in Tours, France, were assessed through a French version of the 28-item self-rated DES. RESULTS: The mean score (24.1) was high, and 33% of the scores exceeded a threshold set at 30. The Principal Components Analysis of the DES ratings yielded a 3-factor solution: depersonalization-derealization, amnestic fragmentation of identity, and absorption-imaginative involvement. DES reliability was studied through computation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.94). CONCLUSION: During validation of a French version of the DES, the study showed that dissociation is considerably linked to rape-trauma victim populations.

Adolescent↗

Attitudes toward victims of rape: effects of gender, race, religion, and social class.

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 focusing on gender and racial differences. Results indicate (N = 220) that victims of rape are generally viewed more sympathetically by females than by males and by Whites than by African Americans. However, the effect of race disappears when socioeconomic variables are controlled, suggesting a more complex relationship. Also, a hierarchical regression indicates that age, sex, education, and income are significant predictors of attitudes toward victims. This study builds on existing research that examines such attitudes from a cultural perspective and extends this literature by examining the interactive effects of several demographic variables within a community sample.

Adult↗

Risk factors for physical assault and rape among six Native American tribes.

Prevalence and correlates of adult physical assault and rape in six Native American tribes are presented (N = 1,368). Among women, 45% reported being physically assaulted and 14% were raped since age 18 years. For men, figures were 36% and 2%, respectively. Demographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences, adulthood alcohol dependence, and cultural and regional variables were assessed. Using logistic regression, predictors of physical assault among women were marital status, an alcoholic parent, childhood maltreatment, and lifetime alcohol dependence. Predictors of sexual assault among women were marital status, childhood maltreatment, and lifetime alcohol dependence. Among men, only childhood maltreatment and lifetime alcohol dependence predicted being physically assaulted. Tribal differences existed in rates of physical assault (both sexes) and rape (women only). The results underscore the problem of violence victimization among Native Americans and point to certain environmental features that increase risk of adulthood physical and sexual assault. Implications for tribe-specific interventions are discussed.

Adult↗

Rape and HIV.

The risk of contracting HIV infection as a result of rape is unknown. We describe 4 female patients who were found to have antibodies to HIV-1 following rape, only one of whom had another recognized risk factor for HIV infection. The need for careful follow-up of rape victims, and the potential for HIV acquisition by the assailant is discussed.

Female↗

Behavioural types of rape.

The previous and subsequent convictions of all those charged with rape in 1961 were studied, together with circumstances of the criminal offence. The proportion of victims whose names were published in newspapers was high (26 per cent) and a high proportion of accused were acquitted (22 per cent). They fell fairly obviously into paedophiliac rapes of girls under 14 (30 per cent), "aggressive" rapists (20 per cent) with a record of other aggressive offences, and "others" (50 per cent) with few if any other convictions. Various aspects of the records of these groups are considered. The paedophiles tended to have a wider age range and more often pleaded or were found guilty, and more of them received a medical disposal, rare in others. A small but similar proportion of acquitted and convicted were subsequently convicted of another rape.

Adult↗

Perceived ethicality of guided imagery in rape research.

In our first study, undergraduate students (30 men, 30 women) evaluated the ethical acceptability of two previously published studies that used guided imagery in rape situations. In one, women imagined themselves as rape victims; in the other, men imagined themselves as rapists. Most students rated the research acceptable, but there was a significant interaction (p less than .05): Women found the study of women as victim less ethical, and men found the study of men as rapist less ethical. In our second study, 30 noncollege women evaluated the research on women as rape victims. After reading the scenario, none of these women said they would have agreed to participate or thought the research was ethically acceptable. We discuss issues of informed consent, demands of the research situation, and potential benefits and risks.

Attitude↗

Motivating women and men to take protective action against rape: examining direct and indirect persuasive fear appeals.

This article examines the effectiveness of persuasive fear appeals in motivating women to enroll in self-defense classes to take protective action against rape. Witte's extended parallel process model is used as a framework to examine the relations between perceived invulnerability, perceived fear, and fear control processes. Because women may perceive invulnerability to rape, persuasive fear appeals targeted toward them may be ineffective in achieving attitude, intention, and behavioral change toward protecting themselves. One possible solution is to persuade men to talk with women about whom they care. Results indicated that women did not perceive invulnerability to rape, and although there was no differential impact between high- and low-threat messages, women did report positive intention and behaviors in response to direct fear appeals. Moreover, men reported positive intention and behaviors in response to indirect fear appeals.

Fear↗

The rape exam: beyond the hospital emergency room.

Data from 31 Florida post-rape examination sites reveal a number of dilemmas associated with rape exams. The sites include regular hospital ERs (N = 25), specialized sexual assault treatment centers (SATCs) on hospital grounds (N = 2), a nonhospital-based SATC, a proprietary OB/GYN clinic, a medical examiner's office, and a law enforcement crime lab. Open-ended interviews indicate that major problems with hospitals as exam sites stem from physicians' dislike of the exam and physician and hospital fears of legal and court entanglements. Prosecutors (and judges) are a major obstacle to nonphysician examiners. A challenge to rethink the post-rape exam, including where and by whom it is performed, is posed.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗

DNA typing from vaginal smear slides in suspected rape cases.

In an investigation of suspected rape, proof of sexual assault with penetration is required. In view of this, detailed descriptions of the genitalia, the thighs and pubic region are made within the forensic medical service. In addition, vaginal swabs are taken from the rape victim and some of the biological material collected is then transferred to glass slides. In this report, we describe two rape cases solved using DNA typing from cells recovered from vaginal smear slides. In 1999, two young women informed the Rio de Janeiro Police Department that they had been victims of sexual assaults. A suspect was arrested and the victims identified him as the offender. The suspect maintained that he was innocent. In order to elucidate these crimes, vaginal smear slides were sent to the DNA Diagnostic Laboratory for DNA analysis three months after the crimes, as unique forensic evidence. To get enough epithelial and sperm cells to perform DNA analysis, we used protocols modified from the previously standard protocols used for DNA extraction from biological material fixed on glass slides. The quantity of cells was sufficient to perform human DNA typing using nine short tandem repeat (STR) loci. It was 3.3 billion times more probable that it was the examined suspect who had left sperm cells in the victims, rather than any other individual in the population of Rio de Janeiro.

DNA Fingerprinting↗