Does it matter what you call it? The relationship between labeling unwanted sexual experiences and distress.
Using cross-sectional data from 2 samples of women attending a university (N = 1,395), the author examined the relationship among women's labeling of their unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) with dating partners and a variety of psychological and school-related outcomes. Three competing path analysis models were tested to determine whether the distress associated with sexual victimization stems from the USE itself, from the woman's self-definition as a victim, or from both. The best-fitting model indicates that labeling is irrelevant to the determination of negative outcomes and that it is the USE itself that is associated with psychological and school-related distress. These results suggest that labeling cannot be considered a valid criterion for determining who has experienced sexual victimization.
Harned
Melanie S
MS
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA. mharned@brtc.psych.washington.edu
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001290:Attitude; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence; D011902:Rape / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012660:Semantics; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires