Intimate sexual victimization among women with protective orders: types and associations of physical and mental health problems.
Intimate sexual violence was examined among a sample of women who had recently obtained protective orders against male partners using three groups: no sexual victimization (n = 368), sexual insistence (n = 114), and threatened and/or forced sex (n = 117). Differences in childhood sexual abuse as well as types of partner psychological abuse, stalking, and severe physical violence experiences were found across the groups. Multivariate analysis showed that women with no sexual victimization had significantly fewer mental health problems than women who had experienced sexual insistence and women who had been threatened or forced to have sex. Findings from this study underscore the importance of health, mental health, and criminal justice professionals assessing for a range of sexually abusive acts when working with victims of partner violence.
University of Kentucky, Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, Lexington, KY 40504, USA. jecole2@uky.edu
Jennifer
J
Cole
T K
TK
Logan
Lisa
L
Shannon
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003068:Coercion; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health