The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma

1 Applied Research The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma Nicole P. Yuan, Mary P. Koss, and Mirto Stone T. he Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma among Women's responses to survivors have been widely studied, but research in- childhood and adulthood Sexual vestigations continue, in part, because rates of violence violence are complex and against girls and women remain high. The National Violence highly individualized. Some Against Women Survey found that 18% of women reported ex- survivors experience severe periencing a completed or attempted rape during their lifetime and chronic Psychological (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000).

2 More than half (54%) of the rape symptoms, whereas others survivors that responded to the survey were younger than age experience little or no distress. 18 when they experienced their first attempted or completed The wide range of Consequences rape. Ongoing research attention to mental health outcomes is may be attributed to assault also driven by evidence that survivors' responses are largely characteristics, environmental complex and unique to each individual (Briere & Jordan, conditions, survivor attributes, 2004). Some individuals experience severe symptoms or long- and availability of social support term distress, whereas others do not ( , Kendall-Tackett, and resources.)

3 The use of Williams, & Finkelhor, 1993). The diversity in outcomes may different methodologies may be attributed to characteristics of the violent acts, environmen- also contribute to mixed findings tal conditions, survivor attributes, and availability of social across studies.. support and resources. Another contributing factor is the use of different methodologies across research investigations. Al- though some individuals may be resilient to the negative effects of Sexual Trauma , it does not minimize the observation that for other women Sexual victimization is the most devastating event they will experience.

4 Applied Research papers synthesize and interpret current research on violence against This paper describes current research findings on the effects women, offering a review of the literature of childhood and adulthood Sexual victimization on women's and implications for policy and practice. mental health. Existing data on understudied communities and risk factors for mental health problems are also presented. The Applied Research initiative represents a collaboration between the National Resource Childhood and adulthood Sexual violence are discussed Center on Domestic Violence, the National separately because, contrary to public opinion, Sexual violence Sexual Violence Resource Center, and the against children is fairly common and is frequently associated Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse.

5 With Psychological distress that continues into adulthood. There is also evidence that the mental health effects of childhood Sexual victimization might be different from those due to VAWnet is a project of the adulthood victimization ( , Coid et al., 2003). This document National Resource Center on does not cover other health outcomes, such as chronic medical Domestic Violence. conditions and reproductive and maternal health problems, because those outcomes make up a distinct body of literature March 2006 Page 1 of 11. Applied Research that requires a focused review in their own right.

6 Behavioral Sexual harassment. The acts are considered Having knowledge in this area is critical for all Sexual violence if they are nonconsensual or committed individuals working with survivors, including victim against someone that is unable to provide consent advocates, community health workers, and policy (Basile & Saltzman, 2002). makers. First, it promotes continued empathy and support for survivors. Second, the knowledge may There are many different terms for Sexual violence. help diverse groups of service providers respond to In this paper, Sexual Trauma is the main term that is current trends toward professionalization of the field used.

7 Sexual Trauma refers to one or multiple Sexual of Sexual violence. As state and federal funding for violations that invoke significant distress. The term violence against women face budget cuts from year Sexual Trauma is recommended and used by many to year, organizations have had to move away from clinicians and advocates in response to observations grassroots models to professional models (Patricia that some survivors do not label their experiences as Yancey Martin, 2005). Professional models include rape or assault due to familiarity with the perpetrator the use of evaluation and analytic tools and other or the absence of force.

8 Clinical observations have also activities related to writing proposals and managing suggested that Sexual Trauma may be a less stigmatizing grants and contracts. This requires knowledge term for some survivors and may promote healing of the research literature and the language and by acknowledging the impact of the violent act on conceptual models frequently used by scientists and the individual's wellbeing. In contrast, most research professionals. This paper provides a review that will investigations examine specific types of Sexual violence hopefully facilitate discussions of the Psychological ( , rape and Sexual assault).

9 It is recognized that the Consequences of Sexual victimization across different term Sexual Trauma compounds the acts of violence with individuals and organizations that work with or for survivors'responses. As a result, Sexual Trauma is used survivors. when presenting a clinical viewpoint and terms related to specific types of violations are used when conveying Definitions particular findings in the scientific literature. The terms childhood Sexual abuse and adulthood Childhood Sexual Trauma Sexual violence are based on definitions developed by the American Medical Association and the Centers Psychological Consequences for Disease Control and Prevention, respectively.

10 Survivors of childhood Sexual Trauma are at high risk of According to the American Medical Association (1992), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the childhood Sexual abuse consists of contact abuse American PsychiatricAssociation (1994), the diagnostic ranging from fondling to rape and non-contact abuse, criteria for PTSD include exposure to a traumatic event such as modeling inappropriate Sexual behavior, forced that invokes intense fear, helplessness, or horror and a involvement in child pornography, or exhibitionism. range of symptoms, such as reoccurring recollections Adulthood Sexual violence includes contact and non- or dreams of the event, persistent avoidance of all contact acts performed without the survivor's consent things associated with the Trauma , numbing and lack of since age 18.