No abstract

An exploratory model of variables affecting level of sexual assault trauma at given times and change in trauma levels over time is developed and tested using a sample of female rape victims admitted to a treatment center over a two-year period. Based on a one-way analysis of variance and multiple classification analysis, the findings indicate that a previous rape best explains trauma change, while victim's demographics, social supports, and other prior life stress variables are important at specific time periods during the rape trauma syndrome. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of treatment-related issues.

A comparative study of 112 Japanese-American Sansei and Yonsei youth in Los Angeles, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii—drawn from the rosters of youth active in Japanese-American church organizations—found no over-all differences by location, generation, or sex. Some significant differences, however, were noted for specific items. Of particular note are the shared (and continued) traditional values of these Los Angeles and Honolulu church-going Japanese-American youth.

Victimization studies indicate that the risk of sexual assault is significant for women in America today and that sizable numbers of women are sexually assaulted more than once during their lives. This study proposed and tested alternative hypotheses about repeated sexual victimization and trauma change during the acute phase of the sexual assault trauma syndrome. Panel interview data were collected during a two-year period on 184 female victims (14 years and older) admitted to a sexual assault treatment center for initial and follow-up services. Controlling for initial trauma level and time between assessments, prior assault victims were more traumatized than first assault victims at follow-up. Prior and first assault victims had different patterns in short-term trauma change, with only the first assault victims decreasing in trauma. Prior mental health or substance abuse problems partially explained the observed effect of prior sexual assault on trauma change. Prior sexual assault, however, continued to affect trauma significantly in the condition where the repeated assault victim also had prior mental health or substance abuse problems at the time of the current assault.

145 Latino community college students enrolled in Chicano Studies classes in Los Angeles, California were administered a love-attitudes scale. Analysis showed that the mean scores and endorsement patterns were similar to those in earlier research on white-Latino and white-non-Latino students in the United States. Significant gender differences were found. Latino men scored more Ludic and Agapic than women. Researchers might examine the love-styles and ethnic identity in and out of marriage among Latinos, whites, and Asians in southern California.