This study examined differences in male-perpetrated adult sexual assault experiences among women of various sexual orientations using a large urban convenience sample (N = 1,022). Results showed many similarities in disclosure to others, perceived helpfulness, and attributions of blame, but there were also differences by sexual orientation. Heterosexual women were more likely to experience completed sexual assault than lesbian or bisexual women. Lesbians were more likely to be assaulted by relatives than bisexual or heterosexual women. Finally, bisexual women disclosed the assault to the greatest number of formal support sources, were most likely to tell a romantic partner about the assault, received the fewest positive social reactions overall, and had higher posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology.

The goal of this exploratory study was to examine correlates of sexual assault disclosure and social reactions in female victims with and without drinking problems. An ethnically diverse sample of sexual assault survivors was recruited from college, community, and mental health agencies. Ethnic minority women were less likely to disclose assault, and women with a greater number of traumatic life events disclosed assault more often. Although there were no differences in disclosure likelihood by drinking status; of those disclosing, problem drinkers told more support sources and received more negative and positive social reactions than nonproblem drinkers. Correlates of receiving negative social reactions were similar for normal and problem drinkers; however, negative social reactions to assault disclosure were related to more problem drinking for women with less frequent social interaction. Implications for future research and possible support interventions with problem-drinking victims are provided. Keywordswomen; sexual assault; disclosure; social reactions; problem drinking Research shows that sexual assault is related to a higher risk of problem drinking in women (Burnam et al., 1988;Kilpatrick, Acierno, Resnick, Saunders, & Best, 1997;Wilsnack, Vogeltanz, Klassen, & Harris, 1997). According to Wekerle and Hall's (2002) literature review, 49% to 75% of women with addiction problems have histories of sexual victimization. Social support appears to be an important resource for women who experience sexual assault as well as for women with drinking problems (Timko, Finney, & Moos, 2005;Ullman, 1999). Social support may help sexual assault victims recover from their assaults (Ullman, 1999) and may be related to fewer drinking problems in general samples of women, although results are mixed (Cooper, Frone, Russell, & Peirce, 1997;Green, Freeborn, & Polen, 2001;Peirce, Frone, Russell, Cooper, & Mudar, 2000;Timko et al., 2005). Unfortunately, little research has explored possible social factors that may improve our understanding of these relationships and provide guidance for developing interventions with problem-drinking female victims.To provide background in these areas of research, we first review past studies on (a) correlates of sexual assault disclosure, (b) correlates of social reactions to assault disclosure, and (c) social support and women's drinking. Given that both problem drinking (Blume, 1991) and sexual assault (Davis, Brickman, & Baker, 1991;Ullman, 1996b) are stigmatized in women (Imhof, 1996), it is important to understand how these problems interrelate to provide better treatment and intervention for victims depending on their drinking histories. Therefore, after reviewing past research, we discuss how these areas may be brought together and present results from an exploratory study of the relationships of disclosure, social support, and drinking in a large sample of female victims. NIH Public Access Correlates of Sexual Assault DisclosureAlthough most research has focused on correlates o...

Two factors potentially affect observers'attributions of responsibility to a rape survivor: how closely they identify with the survivor and how much they adhere to rape myths. To assess the impact of these factors, 157 female college students categorized by their sexual assault history and by their acceptance of rape myths, evaluated a sexual assault scenario. It was hypothesized that previously victimized participants would attribute less blame, and that those participants who self-identify as rape survivors would view the assault as rape more often than other participants. Neither hypothesis was supported. As expected, those who scored higher on the Rape Myths Acceptance Scale(RMAS) blamed the victim more and were less likely to believe rape had occurred. Only one subscale of the RMAS, Adversarial Sexual Beliefs, was consistently associated with participants'evaluation of the scenario, suggesting that this dimension may be especially important to understanding an observer's assessment of rape.

This prospective study used 3 years of longitudinal data to explore relationships among intimate partner violence (IPV), perceived emotional and material social support, employment stability, and job turnover among current and former female welfare recipients in the immediate post-welfare reform era. Higher levels of current IPV and lower levels of current social support predicted less stable future employment; however, current employment stability did not predict either future IPV or future social support. Current social support did not predict future IPV, and perceived social support did not mediate the relationship between IPV and employment stability during a 3-year period.

Limited research on revictimization has examined the role of social support, which is known to affect sexual assault survivors' psychological recovery. Measuring social support also provides a more ecological approach to understanding revictimization, as it assesses the possible role of those in the survivors' environment. The current study examined how social support and disclosure experiences of 625 community-based survivors related to their revictimization status over a 12-month period. Results showed differences between revictimized and nonrevictimized survivors in terms of who they disclosed to about their assault. In addition, revictimized survivors received less informational and emotional support and more blaming reactions. Implications for future research regarding using an ecological approach to better understand revictimization risk are discussed. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This article presents the descriptive results of a statewide evaluation of hotline, advocacy, and counseling services provided to sexual assault victims in Illinois. Collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary research team and sexual assault service providers resulted in victim-sensitive evaluation measures and data that reflect, for the first time, the collective impact of services on rape victims across the state of Illinois. Results of the evaluation suggest that, overall, services provided to rape victims provided support, increased information and knowledge, and helped victims to understand options and make decisions. The evaluation approach is notable for its collaborative nature and its sensitivity to rape victims during help-seeking and delivery; however, due to the high levels of distress common among rape survivors, some evaluation methods may not be appropriate for crisis intervention services such as hotline or advocacy. Implications for future evaluation research and policy are noted.

Although research on sexual assault and its postassault consequences has grown, information on knowledge of postassault experiences for African American women remains limited. A large sample of African American women ( N = 495) were surveyed about their sexual assault experiences, attributions of blame, disclosure, and social reactions received following assault. Age, educational attainment, and sexual assault severity were examined in relation to postassault factors. Exploratory analyses were conducted to identify potential differences in sexual assault experiences and postassault outcomes for African American women. Although African American women reported similar sexual assault characteristics, their postassault reactions and experiences differed according to their age and educational attainment.

No abstract