title: Unacknowledged Rape: The Influences of Child Sexual Abuse and Personality Traits.
abstract: Evidence supports that the majority of young women who experience sexual victimization that meets the legal definition of rape do not label their experiences as rape--this has been termed unacknowledged rape. In a sample of 77 young adult women, the odds of unacknowledged rape significantly increased as a function of less severe child sexual abuse histories and greater levels of dysfunctional personality traits. Potential explanations for these findings as well as clinical implications are discussed. Because of the potential psychological and societal consequences of unacknowledged rape, it is vital that researchers continue to examine this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychological Science , University of Mary Washington , Fredericksburg , Virginia , USA.
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: b Psychology Department , Virginia Tech , Blacksburg , Virginia , USA.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarpa
mesh_terms: D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010551:Personality; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: child abuse; personality; rape acknowledgment; unacknowledged rape