title: Beyond the campus: unacknowledged rape among low-income women.
abstract: Studies of college rape victims have found that many are unacknowledged; that is, they do not label their experience rape. The current study investigated factors associated with unacknowledged rape among low-income women. Out of a sample of 1,033 women, 167 reported having experienced rape. Unacknowledged victims, relative to acknowledged victims, reported less violent assaults and more alcohol use before the assault and were more likely to have been assaulted by a romantic partner. Unacknowledged victims also disclosed less often and reported fewer feelings of stigma. Implications of the work for future studies of unacknowledged rape are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Littleton
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radecki Breitkopf
authors.forename: Abbey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berenson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D016387:Women's Health