title: Sexual revictimization during women's first year of college: self-blame and sexual refusal assertiveness as possible mechanisms.
abstract: Although sexual victimization during adolescence increases risk for later revictimization, mechanisms for increased risk among new college students have not been identified. Female undergraduates (N = 87) were assessed at the start and end of their first academic year. Those who reported initial sexual victimization at Time 1 were more likely than other women to report later college victimization at Time 2. Path analyses showed that self-blame and decreased sexual refusal assertiveness (SRA) explained this effect. Specifically, initial victimization was associated with increased self-blame; in turn, self-blame indirectly predicted later college victimization via decreased sexual refusal assertiveness. Prevention efforts focused on self-blame and other barriers to SRA may reduce risk for revictimization during women's transition to college.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY 14454, USA. katz@geneseo.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sörensen
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DelTosta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001242:Assertiveness; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D012008:Recurrence; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult