Rape Trauma Syndrome

Abstract

Abstract Symptoms of rape survivors were first noticed and reported by Burgess and Holmstrom in 1974, who coined the term rape trauma syndrome. The two noticed that victims of rape not only reported physical symptoms, but also numerous psychological effects of rape. Short‐term effects for rape victims typically include fear, anxiety, and hypervigilance, as well as flashbacks and problems with romantic relationships. Long‐term effects might include avoidance of places or people associated with the assault, emotional numbness, reexperiencing of the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, and long‐term relationship instability. Rape trauma syndrome has been debated in the field, especially with regard to whether it should be allowed as a topic of expert testimony. Rape trauma syndrome is not a psychological diagnosis, but individuals in the field equate it to posttraumatic stress disorder where the stressor is rape.