title: Violence against women: outcome complexity and implications for assessment and treatment.
abstract: This article reviews the major forms of violence against women, including sexual assault, intimate-relationship violence, and stalking and outlines the known psychological effects of such victimization. Also discussed are a number of variables that combine to determine the effects of such victimization, including type and characteristics of the assault; victim variables such as demographics, psychological reactions at the time of the trauma, previous victimization history, current or previous psychological difficulties, and general coping style; and sociocultural factors such as poverty, social inequality, and inadequate social support. The implications of this complexity are explored in terms of psychological assessment and the frequent need for multitarget, multimodal treatment approaches.
authors.affiliation: Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Briere
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Jordan
mesh_terms: D018585:Battered Women; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000592:standards; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health; D014933:Women's Rights