An Empirical Evaluation of a Program Designed to Reduce the Risk of Multiple Sexual Victimization

The purpose of this investigation was to design and empirically evaluate a program designed to reduce women's risk of multiple sexual victimization. Participants in this study were 406 college women. At the beginning of the academic quarter, participants responded to survey instruments assessing history of sexual assault, dating behaviors, sexual communication, and knowledge about sexual assault. After responding to survey instruments, women in the treatment group participated in the program. Women in the control group did not participate in the program. Participants returned at the end of the academic quarter and responded to survey instruments again. Results suggest that the program was ineffective in reducing the incidence of sexual assault among participants. In addition, the program did not significantly affect dating behaviors, sexual communication, or knowledge about sexual assault. Furthermore, the ineffectiveness of the program in these areas did not appear to be related to participants' histories of sexual victimization.

[1]  K. Lonsway.  Preventing Acquaintance Rape Through Education , 1996 .

[2]  P. Long,et al.  Child sexual abuse and its relationship to revictimization in adult women: A review , 1996 .

[3]  S. Gold,et al.  Definitional Issues and Mediating Variables in the Sexual Revictimization of Women Sexually Abused as Children , 1995 .

[4]  C. Gidycz,et al.  A Prospective Analysis Of The Relationships Among Sexual Assault Experiences: An Extension of Previous Findings , 1995 .

[5]  C. Gidycz,et al.  Evaluation of a sexual assault prevention program , 1993 .

[6]  C. Gidycz,et al.  Sexual Assault Experience in Adulthood and Prior Victimization Experiences , 1993 .

[7]  J. Chu,et al.  The revictimization of adult women with histories of childhood abuse. , 1992, The Journal of psychotherapy practice and research.

[8]  S. Sorenson,et al.  Repeated Sexual Victimization , 1991, Violence and Victims.

[9]  R. Kluft.  DISSOCIATION AND SUBSEQUENT VULNERABILITY: A PRELIMINARY STUDY , 1990 .

[10]  M. Koss,et al.  Discriminant analysis of risk factors for sexual victimization among a national sample of college women. , 1989, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[11]  B. Burkhart,et al.  Sexual Victimization: Is There a Vicious Cycle?1 , 1989, Violence and Victims.

[12]  D. Finkelhor,et al.  The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: a conceptualization. , 1985, The American journal of orthopsychiatry.

[13]  M. Koss,et al.  Sexual experiences survey: reliability and validity. , 1985, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[14]  D. Gelinas.  The persisting negative effects of incest. , 1983, Psychiatry.

[15]  K. Calhoun,et al.  An examination of differences between multiple- and single-incident victims of sexual assault. , 1982, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[16]  M. Koss,et al.  Sexual Experiences Survey: a research instrument investigating sexual aggression and victimization. , 1982, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[17]  D. Finkelhor.  Sexually Victimized Children , 1980 .

[18]  John T. Cacioppo,et al.  Effects of Forwarning of Persuasive Intent and Involvement on Cognitive Responses and Persuasion , 1979 .

[19]  A. Kaufman,et al.  Recidivism among sex assault victims. , 1978, The American journal of psychiatry.