Sexual victimization is an act of interpersonal violence that affects the lives of many college women. Such incidents are often characterized by women as traumatic experiences which also result forms of psychological distress, with the most common being posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The relationship between sexual victimization and PTSD is strengthened by revictimization. Although perceived social support has been shown to play a protective role in the sexual victimizationâ ³psychological distress relationship, there is also evidence that the moderating effect of perceived social support diminishes with chronic distress. Therefore, the current study assumed that there would be a changing role of perceived social support, from a moderator to a mediator, in the relationship between sexual victimization and PTSD. Three hundred college females (mean age 19) completed questionnaires related to sexual victimization experiences, perceived social support, and PTSD symptoms in addition to other personality and socio-demographic factors. The hypotheses were not supported. However, as with previous findings, the results showed that sexual victimization significantly predicted PTSD symptom severity. / Master of Science

The abused-abuser hypothesis posits that a history of sexual victimization may increase the risk of engaging in sexually abusive behavior for some victims. Although many researchers have discovered a higher prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in sex offenders in comparison with non-sex offenders, less research has considered how specific characteristics of prior sexual abuse may contribute to how these individuals sexually abuse others. For the present study, archival data were collected from 243 youths receiving residential treatment for sexually abusive behavior and self-reported data were collected from university students with no known history of sexual offending. The present study confirms disproportionally high rates of CSA in the sample of sexually abusive youth, compared to non-sexual abusers. Further, among the sample of sexually abusive youth, we examined the effects of sexual perpetrator characteristics and age of sexual victimization on victim choice, age at first sexual offense, and number of sexual offenses, number of arrests, and sexual victims. Results revealed associations between perpetrator characteristics and victim choice. Additionally, being sexually victimized by a male or a relative was significantly associated with a younger age of onset of sexually abusive behavior and a younger age of sexual victimization suggested a greater number of sexual victims. Implications and future directions will be explored.

Sexual assault (SA) has been associated with various negative psychological consequences for survivors. Recent studies have shown an association between the history of sexual assault and sexual dysfunction among female survivors of sexual victimization. Specifically, sexual assault survivors experience difficulties with aspects of sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, and sexual self-schemas (Rellini & Meston, 2011). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. In addition, we tested a sequential mediational model in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning. Seventy-three female college students with a history of sexual victimization were asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires designed to assess the history of sexual victimization, sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, sexual self-schemas and psychological distress levels (i.e., depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity). Results revealed no significant associations between severity of sexual victimization and sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning. Additionally, our sequential mediational models, in which sexual self-schema followed by depressive and PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between sexual victimization severity and sexual satisfaction and functioning were non-significant. Our findings may have been limited due to the lack of variability in sexual victimization severity. Future studies further investigating the role of sexual self-schema, depression, and PTSD on sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction among sexual assault survivors are warranted.

Street harassment, the sexual harassment by strangers in public places, is a common experience shared by many women and has been linked with other forms of sexual victimization. The negative impact of street harassment, such as fear and behavior to avoid being harassed, points to the need for preventing the behavior. This study sought to determine whether the documentary-style film War Zone may be effective in impacting men’s attitudes toward street harassment, and whether the effectiveness of the film would depend on men’s hostility toward women and level of peer acceptance for street harassment. Findings do not support the effectiveness of War Zone as a component of street harassment prevention. However, the data does suggest that endorsement of hostile attitudes toward women predicts a lack of empathy, and that endorsement of hostile attitudes toward women, a lack of empathy, and peer acceptance of street harassment predict acceptance of street harassment.

This study investigated the nature and impact of the sexual abuse of children ages birth through 6 years. The purpose was to enhance knowledge about this understudied population through examination of: (1) characteristics of the abuse; (2) socioemotional developmental outcomes of young victims; and (3) potential moderating effects of family dynamics. An ecological-developmental theoretical framework was applied. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected from the consortium Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). A sample of 250 children was drawn from LONGSCAN data, including children who were sexually abused (n=125) and their nonabused counterparts (n=125), matched on demographic variables. Results revealed that young victims of sexual abuse were disproportionately female (91 girls; 73%). The sexual abuse committed against these youngsters was severe in nature, with 111 children (89%) experiencing contact offenses ranging from fondling to forcible rape. Sixty-two percent of child victims demonstrated borderline, clinical, or less than adequate functioning on normative, expected socioemotional outcomes. Child victims reported low degrees of perceived competence and satisfaction in the social environment. When compared with their nonabused counterparts, child victims demonstrated significantly poorer socioemotional functioning, as evidenced by aggressive behaviors, attention and thought problems. Sexually abused youngsters also reported lower self-perceptions of cognitive and physical competence and maternal acceptance. Family dynamic factors did not significantly moderate the relationships between abuse and socioemotional outcomes, with one exception. The caregivers’ degree of empathy for their children had a significant moderating effect on the children’s social problems. This study contributes to an otherwise scant body of literature on the sexual abuse of preschoolers. Findings provide implications for social work practice, especially in the development of assessment and prevention strategies.

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This study investigated the relationship between religiosity of female college students and sexual victimization experiences. These experiences include the reporting behaviors that take place subsequent to an act of sexual victimization. The study utilized secondary data gathered from the forth wave of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Justice between 1990 and 1995. The study used multidimensional levels of religiosity to analyze and to assess its impact on the sexual victimization experiences. Findings ascertained that certain behavioral measures of religiosity were consistently found to be a protective factor against sexual victimization. On the other hand, subjective measures of religiosity were not found to be a protective measure for victimization. Instead, this measure was statistically determined to be related to experiencing acts of sexual victimization. Recommendations were given for a greater focus on campus resources pertaining to student victimization and more in-depth research on the role churches have in dealing with this issue.

College-aged students have the highest sexual assault and intimate partner violence victimization rates. Previous studies have linked victimization with poor mental health scores, especially in the LGBTQ+ college population. They also showed a higher rate of victimization for LGBTQ+ students. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between victimization and mental health in the LGBTQ+ college population. To conduct this study, I used data from the Spring 2021 and 2022, American College Health Association (ACHA) - National College Health Assessment (NCHA). The results of the study established statistical significance in the rates of sexual violence in LGBTQ+ and cisgender heteronormative students. There was also statistical significance in mental health scores between the two groups. Recognizing how the rates of victimization and mental health scores differ between LGBTQ+ and cisgender heteronormative students can help in understanding and assisting these minority groups.

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