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Sexual Assault Acknowledgment Among College Women: Situational, Individual, and Social Network Factors and Psychological Adjustment

Dardis, Christina M.

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
Many victims of sexual assault are “unacknowledged,” that is, although they meet definitional criteria for sexual assault, they do not define themselves as victims of sexual assault. The current study examined the relationship between victims’ acknowledgment status and three types of variables: situational, individual, and social network variables. Results suggested that, among women victimized prior to the first study session, acknowledged victims are more likely to know someone who has been sexually assaulted, to have exerted greater physical resistance against their perpetrators at the time of assault, and to have received more positive social reactions to disclosure than unacknowledged victims. Among these assaults, unacknowledged and acknowledged victims did not differ significantly with regard to post-traumatic symptomatology or symptoms of general distress at Time 1 or Time 2. Prospectively, tentative results suggested that women assaulted over the interim were more likely to be acknowledged if they had endorsed prior assault, had disclosed the current assault experience, and had known someone who had been sexually assaulted. These acknowledged victims were more likely to evidence post-traumatic avoidance symptoms.
Christine A. Gidycz, PhD (Committee Chair)
Justin W. Weeks, PhD (Committee Member)
Timothy Anderson, PhD (Committee Member)
114 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dardis, C. M. (2011). Sexual Assault Acknowledgment Among College Women: Situational, Individual, and Social Network Factors and Psychological Adjustment [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1306335136

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dardis, Christina. Sexual Assault Acknowledgment Among College Women: Situational, Individual, and Social Network Factors and Psychological Adjustment. 2011. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1306335136.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dardis, Christina. "Sexual Assault Acknowledgment Among College Women: Situational, Individual, and Social Network Factors and Psychological Adjustment." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1306335136

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)