 |
Unit.E.5.5.
Sexual Assault Survivors
Australia |
focus
points
|
 |
| "This
Australian study expands the empirical and theoretical
understanding of attitudes toward rape victims.
Six hundred and eight adolescents and young adults were
given three brief questionnaires assessing attitudes
toward rape victims, attitudes toward women,
and sex-role orientation, in addition to three sexual
coercion vignettes. The results demonstrated that a
significant proportion of students held unfavorable
attitudes toward rape victims, perceived the
victims as being responsible for the rape, and
perceived the victims as contributing to their
assault. Negative stereotypes about rape were also
related to conservative and traditional beliefs about
women's social roles. Gender and educational level differences
regarding rape victims were also found. The direct
implications of these results for enhancing the efficacy
of rape prevention and education programs is discussed
in terms of both content and target group" (Xenos
& Smith, 2001, p. 1103). |
Canada |
focus
points
|
|
Insert forensic focus points here
International |
focus
points
|
|
Insert forensic focus points here
United Kingdom |
focus
points
|
|
Insert forensic focus points here
United States |
focus
points
|
|
| "The
cultural and legal meaning of rape has changed dramatically
over the past 30 years as the feminist movement has
challenged traditional constructions of sexual violence
and offered an alternative construction of the meaning
of rape. The transformation of rape into a social problem
has brought increased attention to the subject in both
popular and academic realms. Despite the growing body
of research and theory on sexual violence, little inquiry
exists into women's everyday constructions of rape and
the degree to which such constructions have been influenced
by the feminist movement. This article uses a constructionist
framework to examine the everyday understandings of
rape held by a diverse sample of women. Data gathered
through an open-ended survey instrument were analyzed
to reveal both interesting similarities and significant
differences in the ways women of different ages, races,
and personal histories define and interpret the phenomenon
of rape. By examining these data, the extent to which
the feminist reconstruction of rape has influenced women's
everyday assumptions is examined, and the role of differences
among women in perceptions of rape is explored. The
findings presented in this article have implications
for theories of social problems, for feminist discourse,
and for the application of research on rape in applied
settings" (Chasteen, 2001, p. 101). |
Focus Points
Reference
| Chasteen,
A. L. (2001). Constructing rape: Feminism, |
change
and women's every day understanding of sexual assault.
Sociological Spectrum, 21(2), 101-139. Retrieved
December 26, 2002, from Academic Search Premier
Database:
http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=4273265&db=aph
|
| Xenos, S.
& Smith, D. (2001). Perceptions of rape and |
sexual
assault among Australian adolescents and young adults.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16(11),
1103-1119. Retrieved December 26, 2002, from Academic
Search Premier Database:
http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=5685782&db=aph
|
Top
of Page
|
 |
Topic
E - Forensic (ER) Emergency > Section E.5.0. Forensic Populations
(at Risk) (Living Forensic)> Unit.E.5.5. Sexual Abuse Survivors
