The role of substance use and emotion dysregulation in predicting risk for incapacitated sexual revictimization in women: Results of a prospective investigation.

Abstract

Incapacitated sexual assault (ISA) is the most common form of sexual victimization experienced by college women. Although ISA victims are at risk for future assaults, few studies have examined mechanisms responsible for ISA revictimization besides heavy drinking. Using a prospective design, the present study examined whether emotion dysregulation, given its association with interpersonal trauma and substance use, increases risk for revictimization among women with a history of ISA above and beyond the effects of substance use. Female college students (n ϭ 229) completed a baseline assessment followed by assessment of incapacitated sexual assault over a 9-week follow-up period. Approximately 36% of participants reported a history of ISA, and 73% of those victimized during the study had a history of ISA. Revictimized women reported higher levels of alcohol-related problems, greater marijuana use, greater emotion dysregulation, and higher levels of fear and guilt prior to experiencing ISA during the study; however, they did not consume more alcohol than previously victimized women. In a logistic regression analysis, guilt, emotion dysregulation, and marijuana use accurately classified 78.9% of ISA revictimized women. Women with a history of ISA are at substantial risk for ISA revictimization. Findings suggest that even very small increases in emotion dysregulation, particularly in impulsivity, as well as marijuana use, impact revictimization risk substantially. Efficacy of interventions to reduce ISA revictimization may be improved if emotion dysregulation is addressed.

Effects of social support on the association between precollege sexual assault and college-onset victimization

“…Consistent with previous research using the S4S sample (Conley et al 43 ), pre-college SA significantly predicted college-onset SA. This finding is consistent with a preponderance of literature suggesting that prior history of sexual assault is a strong predictor of subsequent sexual assaults 9 , particularly among college samples 11,12 . Indeed, approximately half of individuals who reported college-onset SA also reported prior SA.…”

“…This association has been demonstrated in both retrospective and prospective research designs 10 and has been found among college 11,12 , clinical 13,14 , and community-based samples 15,16 . Moreover, strong associations between repeated SA and psychopathology have been demonstrated.…”

Prevalence and predictors of sexual assault among a college sample

“…Previous victims of SA experience a two to three fold increased risk of being re-victimized compared to those without a history of abuse 5 ; a finding that has generalized across college 6,7 , clinical 8,9 , and community-based samples 10,11,12 . Furthermore, risk of revictimization has been demonstrated via both retrospective and prospective research designs 11 .…”

Associations among Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress, and Hazardous Drinking in College Students: Considerations for Intervention

“…Yet, these and other studies suggest that the patterns of influence of PTSD on drinking are complex and may also be bidirectional; with one influencing the other over time [e.g., 41, 44•, 45]. Especially troubling are studies showing that for those with trauma and PTS, heavy drinking can lead directly to increased risk for trauma re-exposure [46] and perhaps also for a spiral of worsening PTS symptoms [47]. …”