Annotated bibliography on rape and how it affects future relationships

Nicole R. Sorell (2008). Physical and Psychological Effects of Rape. Retrieved 29 Sep. 2010 From http://www. healthyplace. com/abuse/escaping-hades/physical-effects-of-being-raped-or-sexually-assaulted/menu-id-811/

This article deals with several effects of rape that is physical, psychological, economic effects and how affected persons can be assisted to seek therapy. According to Nicole, victims of rape suffer sever psychological effects; self blame, suicidal behavior, depression, hatred for the opposite sex, and a lack of interest in certain activities. In a concise and emotional manner, the author provides minute details of symptoms of each factor and how it can be handled. In one of the examples the author notes that, rape victims have been found to avoid companies of people of the opposite sex, for example if one was attacked by a person of the other sex. This article is very crucial as it provides relevant information for explaining why some people tend to avoid certain groups.

Hanson. K. Hanson (1990). The Psychological Impact of Sexual Assault On Women and Children: A Review Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment. 3 (2): 187 – 232.

The article provides insights on the issues that affect victims of rape such as self blame and shame. The author asserts that shame resulting from assault plays a big role in influencing eating disorders, depression, as well as mental disorder. In his investigation, the author found that youth prone to shame are more likely to indulge in substance abuse and involvement in criminal activities. This article is relevant to this study because it provides insight on behavior of youth who have experienced rape in their life. His arguments are similar to those of Ehrenreich.

Luster T and Small SA (2007). Sexual abuse history and problems in adolescence: exploring the effects of moderating variables. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 59: 131–142.

In this article, the authors use data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of young men and women to test their hypothesis that victims of rape are more likely to attempt suicide than other groups. They find their hypothesis is supported by data collected from many parts of the world. For example in Ethiopia, about 6% of rape victims reported having tried to commit suicide. The evidence adduced here is of importance to the study since it provides clear evidence as to why people with suicidal behavior tend to be more detached from the rest in the society.

Resick, J. et al (2009) Long-term Psychological Effects of Rape in 35 Victims. A Journal of Research and Treatment, 77-79

This work looks at the responses from 35 victims of rape who reported their assault in the between 1996-1997 Violence and Threats of Violence Against Women and Men in the United States survey. The authors of this article expected men who reported cases of being assaulted would be more willing to seek assistance. According to the authors, those severely assaulted reported being penetrated, attacked with a weapon, or even threatened. The study compared the results of this with victims who had been assaulted 3 to 45 years there before to establish the long-term effects of sexual assault. The rape victims were assessed against 100 non abused control subjects on their scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Inventory, and the modified Fear Survey Interview.  This article provides a good background for establishing behavior patterns of victims of rape.

Santiago, Patricia (2005). Effects of a Rape Experience: A Longitudinal Study Journal of Social Issues Volume 37, Issue 4, 105-22

This paper gives results of a longitudinal exploration of the reactions exhibited by victims of rapes. The study, evaluated 20 victims of rape at 1 month, 5 months and one year after the occurrence of rape. The study compares the results with a similar number of non rape victims. In his findings, the author says that victims of rape were found to be more anxious than the control group. However, he reports considerable difference on variables such as personality and mood state. Just as Resick et al (2009), the author observes that these behaviors have a big influence on future relationships. According to their findings, the authors found that rape victims tended to be more depressed, more anxious and fearful than control subjects. They also found out that only one variable had a higher level of depression and anxiety; those who had been previously molested. This work is essential because it provides empirical evidence on some of the observed behaviors of victims of rape and how the behavior influences relationships in general.