title: Prevalence and patterns of sexual assault across the life span among incarcerated women.
abstract: This study investigated the prevalence of and associations among sexual assault by life stage (childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) and perpetrator (family, stranger, friend, or partner) via a survey of a statewide sample of incarcerated women (N = 484). Participants were 18 to 56 years old, and the majority were White (56%). Results demonstrate higher rates of sexual assault in childhood (35%) and adulthood (22%) as compared with adolescence (14%). Logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between childhood sexual assault by family and adulthood sexual assault by friend, stranger, and partner; adolescent sexual assault was not significantly associated with sexual assault in childhood or adulthood. These findings suggest that the lifetime sexual victimization pattern of incarcerated women differs from that seen in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosengard
authors.forename: Megan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hebert
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Jennifer G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology