Factors Associated With College Women’s Labeling of Sexual Victimization

Abstract

Despite high rates of sexual assault among college women, most victims do not label the experience as sexual assault or rape. Prior research examining labeling of sexual victimization has focused on women's characterization of rape experiences as either not victimization or victimization. This study extends prior research by exploring factors associated with labeling various forms of sexual victimization as "not victimization," a "serious miscommunication," or a "sexual assault, date rape, rape, or crime." A sample of 1,060 college women reported on their experiences of sexual victimization since the age of 14 years. Women who reported experiences of prior sexual victimization (n = 371) indicated their level of acquaintance with the assailant, assault disclosure, substance use at time of assault, attributions of self- and perpetrator-blame for the assault, and labeling of the experience. Most women who reported experiences of sexual victimization did not self-identify as victims, and 38% labeled sexual victimization as a serious miscommunication. Greater acquaintance with the perpetrator, higher behavioral self-blame, and victim substance use at the time of the assault were associated with labeling sexual assault experiences as a serious miscommunication. Implications are discussed.

Sexual violence in the college population: a systematic review of disclosure and campus resources and services

“…providing emotional support) were associated with beneficial outcomes such as increased coping (Orchowski et al . ). In contrast, negative reactions to disclosure (e.g.…”

“…In particular, receiving emotional support was found to be marginally positively associated with one aspect of social support (receiving guidance from others), and reactions that attempted to control a survivor's decision were found to be associated with less of another aspect of social support (assurance of worth) (Orchowski et al . ).…”

Labeling Acts of Sexual Violence: What Roles do Assault Characteristics, Attitudes, and Life Experiences Play?

“…The majority of women who endorse behaviorally-specific survey items assessing for rape do not label their experiences as such (see Kolivas & Gross, 2007 for a review). Rape acknowledgement-or the recognition of an individual's own victimization as a rape-may be influenced by several factors, including the victim's personal rape script and rape-related beliefs, the nature of the assault, reactions received from the victim's close friends and family, and the sociocultural context in which the rape occurred (Bondurant, 2001;Orchowski, Untied, & Gidycz, 2013). Not surprisingly, stereotypical rape characteristics (i.e., stranger perpetrator, perpetrator use of force, victim use of resistance) are associated with greater rape acknowledgment (Hammond & Calhoun, 2007;Kahn, Mathie, & Torgler, 1994;Kahn, Jackson, Kully, Badger, & Halvorsen, 2003;Layman, Gidycz, & Lynn, 1996), although there are some inconsistencies with respect to perpetrator identity (cf.…”

Feminist Dilemmatic Theorizing: New Materialism in Communication Studies

“…3). Academic research shows the opposite is true: The vast majority of young women who experience rape never name it as such (Orchowski, Untied, & Gidycz, ). Yet both Will and Sommers charge that young women exploit the ambiguity of language for personal gain.…”

“…The same month, in a similarly flawed attempt to debunk existing research, Christina Hoff Sommers argued women who claim they have experienced rape make "exaggerated claims about intimacy" (Malmsheimer, 2014, para. 3). Academic research shows the opposite is true: The vast majority of young women who experience rape never name it as such (Orchowski, Untied, & Gidycz, 2013). Yet both Will and Sommers charge that young women exploit the ambiguity of language for personal gain.…”