Despite concerted efforts to eradicate violence against women and challenge victim-blaming attitudes towards survivors of sexual assault, women continue to be sexually victimized and encounter negative and accusatory reactions by family, friends, and society at large. For many survivors, the consequences are internalizing blame and feelings of shame, which has been shown to be related to increased psychological distress, self-destructive coping mechanisms, depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (Arata, 1999; Davis & Breslau, 1994; Feiring, Taska, & Lewis, 2002; Frazier, 1990, 2000; Frazier & Schauben, 1994; Wyatt et al., 1990). New research in the area of self-compassion suggests that this way of self-relating can counter shame (Gilbert, 2005) and serve as a resiliency factor for coping with daily stressors (Leary, Tate, Adams, Allen, & Hancock, 2007) and contribute to well-being (Neff, 2003a). No study has yet empirically evaluated self-compassion among survivors of trauma, nor more specifically, victims of sexual assault. The present study investigated the relationships between self-compassion and various indicators of psychological health that have been associated with posttrauma adjustment. One hundred and forty-one women in North America who experienced a sexual assault in the past 5 years (aged 18 to 61, M age = 27 years) completed measures assessing trauma history (sexual trauma history, childhood trauma and stressful life experiences), posttrauma adjustment (psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, and shame), self-compassion, self-criticism, and life satisfaction. The results of the study showed that self-compassion was significantly negatively related to psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, shame and self-criticism, and was positively related to life satisfaction. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that when controlling for earlier childhood trauma and other stressful life experiences, self-compassion was a strong and significant predictor, explaining between 19 to 42% of the variance in psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, shame, and self-criticism. Comparing groups based on severity of sexual assault revealed that women who experienced attempted rape reported significantly higher levels of self-criticism compared with women who experienced sexual coercion. These findings bolster recent studies that equate self-compassion with psychological resilience. The negative relationships revealed between self-compassion and measures reflecting posttrauma adjustment and self-criticism, along with the positive association with life satisfaction clearly demonstrate validity in the pursuit of self-compassion as an important psychological construct that may help women recover from sexual trauma.

Despite concerted efforts to eradicate violence against women and challenge victim-blaming attitudes towards survivors of sexual assault, women continue to be sexually victimized and encounter negative and accusatory reactions by family, friends, and society at large. For many survivors, the consequences are internalizing blame and feelings of shame, which has been shown to be related to increased psychological distress, self-destructive coping mechanisms, depression, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress (Arata, 1999; Davis & Breslau, 1994; Feiring, Taska, & Lewis, 2002; Frazier, 1990, 2000; Frazier & Schauben, 1994; Wyatt et al., 1990). New research in the area of self-compassion suggests that this way of self-relating can counter shame (Gilbert, 2005) and serve as a resiliency factor for coping with daily stressors (Leary, Tate, Adams, Allen, & Hancock, 2007) and contribute to well-being (Neff, 2003a). No study has yet empirically evaluated self-compassion among survivors of trauma, nor more specifically, victims of sexual assault. The present study investigated the relationships between self-compassion and various indicators of psychological health that have been associated with posttrauma adjustment. One hundred and forty-one women in North America who experienced a sexual assault in the past 5 years (aged 18 to 61, M age = 27 years) completed measures assessing trauma history (sexual trauma history, childhood trauma and stressful life experiences), posttrauma adjustment (psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, and shame), self-compassion, self-criticism, and life satisfaction. The results of the study showed that self-compassion was significantly negatively related to psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, shame and self-criticism, and was positively related to life satisfaction. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that when controlling for earlier childhood trauma and other stressful life experiences, self-compassion was a strong and significant predictor, explaining between 19 to 42% of the variance in psychological distress, negative posttraumatic cognitions, shame, and self-criticism. Comparing groups based on severity of sexual assault revealed that women who experienced attempted rape reported significantly higher levels of self-criticism compared with women who experienced sexual coercion. These findings bolster recent studies that equate self-compassion with psychological resilience. The negative relationships revealed between self-compassion and measures reflecting posttrauma adjustment and self-criticism, along with the positive association with life satisfaction clearly demonstrate validity in the pursuit of self-compassion as an important psychological construct that may help women recover from sexual trauma.

Rape cultures in the United States facilitate acts of rape by influencing perpetrators’, community members’, and women who survive rapes’ beliefs about sexual assault and its consequences. While much of the previous research on rape in university settings has focused on individual attitudes and behaviors, as well as developing education and prevention campaigns, this research examined institutional influences on rape culture in the context of football teams. Using a feminist poststructuralist theoretical lens, an examination of newspaper articles, press releases, reports, and court documents from December 2001 to December 2007 was conducted to reveal prominent and counter discourses following a series of rapes and civil lawsuits at the University of Colorado. The research findings illustrated how community members’ adoption of institutional discourses discrediting the women who survived rape and denying the existence of and responsibility for rape culture could be facilitated by specific promotional strategies. Strategies of continually qualifying the women who survived rapes’ reports, administrators claiming ‘victimhood,’ and denying that actions by individual members of the athletic department could be linked to a rape culture made the University’s discourse more palatable to some community members who included residents of Boulder, Colorado and CU students, staff, faculty, and administrators. According to feminist poststructuralist theory, subjects continually construct their identities and belief systems by accepting and rejecting the discourses surrounding them. When community members incorporate rape-supportive discourses from the University into their subjectivities, rape culture has been propagated.

No description available.

This study examined the interrelations among sexual victimization, attachment style, interpersonal relationship satisfaction, and substance use. Sexual victimization (i.e., child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault; CSA and ASA) is a major social concern for which further research is needed. While it is difficult to determine which difficulties are direct outcomes of sexual victimization, both CSA and ASA have been found to be associated with a variety of mental health problems, along with numerous other adverse outcomes across the lifespan (e.g., depression, risk of suicide, attachment insecurity, interpersonal relationship problems, substance abuse). By further exploring these relations and identifying potential mediating variables, specific therapy techniques may be tailored in order to address these variables in treatment. Factors such as attachment and interpersonal relationships are particularly important to consider when examining sexual victimization, due to the intimate nature of this type of victimization. It was expected that sexual victimization in women (controlling for other forms of childhood maltreatment) would predict insecure adult attachment, greater levels of harmful substance use (i.e., drug and alcohol abuse), and lower reported relationship satisfaction. Results indicated that women who experienced more severe CSA and anxious attachment engaged in greater levels of drug abuse (i.e., anxious attachment moderated the relation between CSA and drug abuse). In addition, women who experienced more severe ASA and child psychological abuse reported greater attachment insecurity (both attachment avoidance and anxiety) in their relationships and engaged in greater levels of substance abuse (i.e., both drug and alcohol abuse). Furthermore, women with greater levels of anxious attachment reported lower levels of relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that clinicians working with women survivors of sexual victimization should be aware of potential attachment-related difficulties, as well as an increased risk of developing substance use problems that may be stemming from victimization experiences. / Graduate / 0621

This study examined the interrelations among sexual victimization, attachment style, interpersonal relationship satisfaction, and substance use. Sexual victimization (i.e., child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault; CSA and ASA) is a major social concern for which further research is needed. While it is difficult to determine which difficulties are direct outcomes of sexual victimization, both CSA and ASA have been found to be associated with a variety of mental health problems, along with numerous other adverse outcomes across the lifespan (e.g., depression, risk of suicide, attachment insecurity, interpersonal relationship problems, substance abuse). By further exploring these relations and identifying potential mediating variables, specific therapy techniques may be tailored in order to address these variables in treatment. Factors such as attachment and interpersonal relationships are particularly important to consider when examining sexual victimization, due to the intimate nature of this type of victimization. It was expected that sexual victimization in women (controlling for other forms of childhood maltreatment) would predict insecure adult attachment, greater levels of harmful substance use (i.e., drug and alcohol abuse), and lower reported relationship satisfaction. Results indicated that women who experienced more severe CSA and anxious attachment engaged in greater levels of drug abuse (i.e., anxious attachment moderated the relation between CSA and drug abuse). In addition, women who experienced more severe ASA and child psychological abuse reported greater attachment insecurity (both attachment avoidance and anxiety) in their relationships and engaged in greater levels of substance abuse (i.e., both drug and alcohol abuse). Furthermore, women with greater levels of anxious attachment reported lower levels of relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that clinicians working with women survivors of sexual victimization should be aware of potential attachment-related difficulties, as well as an increased risk of developing substance use problems that may be stemming from victimization experiences. / Graduate / 0621

No description available.

Rape cultures in the United States facilitate acts of rape by influencing perpetrators’, community members’, and women who survive rapes’ beliefs about sexual assault and its consequences. While much of the previous research on rape in university settings has focused on individual attitudes and behaviors, as well as developing education and prevention campaigns, this research examined institutional influences on rape culture in the context of football teams. Using a feminist poststructuralist theoretical lens, an examination of newspaper articles, press releases, reports, and court documents from December 2001 to December 2007 was conducted to reveal prominent and counter discourses following a series of rapes and civil lawsuits at the University of Colorado. The research findings illustrated how community members’ adoption of institutional discourses discrediting the women who survived rape and denying the existence of and responsibility for rape culture could be facilitated by specific promotional strategies. Strategies of continually qualifying the women who survived rapes’ reports, administrators claiming ‘victimhood,’ and denying that actions by individual members of the athletic department could be linked to a rape culture made the University’s discourse more palatable to some community members who included residents of Boulder, Colorado and CU students, staff, faculty, and administrators. According to feminist poststructuralist theory, subjects continually construct their identities and belief systems by accepting and rejecting the discourses surrounding them. When community members incorporate rape-supportive discourses from the University into their subjectivities, rape culture has been propagated.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2010. / Principal faculty advisor: . Includes bibliographical references.