Sexual Aggression Victimization Research Articles

Perceived Impact of COVID-19 on Cyberabuse, Sexual Aggression, and Intimate Partner Violence Among U.S. Young Adults.

Quarantine guidelines that arose with the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for social interaction, raising concerns about increases in intimate partner violence and cyberabuse while simultaneously restricting access to help. The current study assessed increases in cyberabuse, sexual aggression, and intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a U.S. nationally representative sample of young adults ages 18 to 35, recruited from a probability-based household panel. Data were collected between November 2020 and May 2021. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess the prevalence of any self-reported increase in cyberabuse, sexual aggression, or intimate partner victimization or perpetration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression models were run for each outcome measuring any increase compared to no increase. Approximately one in ten U.S. young adults ages 18 to 35 reported experiencing an increase in cyberabuse victimization (12.6%) and cyberabuse perpetration (8.9%) during the pandemic. Similar proportions were observed for increased sexual aggression victimization (11.8%) and perpetration (9.0%). More than one in five respondents (21.4%) reported that their intimate partner was more physically, sexually, or emotionally aggressive toward them during the pandemic. Conversely, 16.2% of respondents reported that they were more physically, sexually, or emotionally aggressive themselves toward an intimate partner, compared to their behavior before the onset of the pandemic. Having an intimate partner and staying at home more than usual during the pandemic were protective factors for both cyberabuse and sexual aggression victimization. Respondent age, education, and race and ethnicity were not associated with increased victimization or perpetration of cyberabuse or sexual aggression. However, women reported lower odds of increased sexual aggression perpetration than men. These findings improve understanding of changes to interpersonal abuse and associated risk factors during a period of social disruption.

Narratives of personal and professional experiences of psychotherapists working with cases of child and adolescent sexual abuse: A qualitative longitudinal study

AbstractBackgroundStudies delving into the personal and professional experiences of psychotherapists working with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused are scarce and mostly cross‐sectional.AimThe present qualitative longitudinal study aimed to describe the narratives that therapists construct about their personal and professional experiences of working with children and/or adolescents who have been victims of sexual aggression during different moments of the psychotherapeutic process.MethodEight psychologists were interviewed and asked about the psychotherapy of 12 cases they were developing. These cases were of children and adolescents who had been sexually abused. Each participant was interviewed at different moments of the cases' psychotherapy (6 months into the process, 12 months into the process and once more at the end of therapy for those who received therapy for longer than 12 months). A total of 34 interviews were conducted and studied through narrative analysis.ResultsThree major themes involving the personal and professional experiences of psychotherapists emerged: regarding the patient and their family; regarding the institutional context; and regarding the personal/professional experience. Also, identified and analysed convergences and divergences that appear within these themes at different points in the participants' interviews are highlighted.DiscussionThe findings suggest that therapists manage to navigate the most complex and distressing aspects of each intervention case in the earlier moments of the psychotherapeutic process and later are likely to have an emotional connection with pleasant or satisfactory elements in their work and are likely to end treatment with an appreciation for the learning experiences they have had working with challenging cases and a sense of amazement at the resources and resilience of the children and adolescents they work with.

Pathways from childhood sexual abuse to sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in adolescence and young adulthood: a three-wave longitudinal study

ABSTRACT Background: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been identified as a risk factor for later sexual aggression perpetration and vulnerability factor for sexual victimization. However, the use of cross-sectional designs, the focus on female victimization and male perpetration, and the lack of evidence from outside North America limit the existing knowledge base. Objective: The study was designed to examine pathways from CSA to sexual revictimization and sexual aggression perpetration after the age of consent. Method: A total of 588 university students in Germany (308 female) took part in a three-wave longitudinal study covering 23 months. At each wave (T1–T3), all participants completed measures of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration. Experiences of CSA were measured at T1. Results: The rate of CSA was significantly higher for women (20.8%) than for men (12.4%). Rates of sexual victimization for women were 60.9% at Time 1 (since age 14), 22.3% at Time 2 (since T1), and 17.4% at Time 3 (since T2). For men, the rates were 39.2% at Time 1, 15.9% at Time 2, and 14.1% at Time 3. Rates of sexual aggression perpetration for women were 10.6% at Time 1 (since age 14), 3.5% at Time 2 (since T1), and 3.6% at Time 3 (since T2). For men, the rates were 18.0% at Time 1, 6.2% at Time 2, and 3.8% at Time 3. The gender differences in victimization and perpetration were significant only at T1. CSA predicted higher odds of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration cross-sectionally at T1 and indirectly at T2 and T3 via T1. Gender did not moderate the associations. Conclusion: The results confirm previous findings of elevated rates of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in adolescence and young adulthood in victims of CSA. The implications for understanding and preventing adverse sexuality-related outcomes of CSA are discussed.

Study of child and adolescent forensic psychiatry : procedure and clinical profile Abstract

IntroductionForensic psychiatry is a specific field of practice in child psychiatry where skills are applied for legal purposes and the expert is faced with certain difficulties.ObjectivesOur objective was to determine the characteristics of the forensic procedure and the clinical profile of the consultants.MethodsCross-sectional and retrospective descriptive study concerning patients consulting the child psychiatry department of Mongi Slim Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 in the context of a forensic expertise, excluding administrative expertise. Telephone interviews were carried out for the medicolegal follow-up.ResultsThe average age was 9 [+/- 3.1] years and the sex ratio was 0.97. The majority of the requests for expertise came from the specialised unit for violence against women and children (40%). The expert’s task was to carry out a child psychiatric examination in 44% of cases and to establish credibility in 6.8% of cases. Apart from 3 cases of perpetrators, the requests concerned victims of physical (40.1%), sexual (38.6%) and psychological (21.3%) aggression. The assault had taken place within the family in 52% of cases and the alleged aggressor was the father in 36%. The average time between the incident and the request for an expert opinion was significantly longer in cases of sexual assault (p =0.01). The physical assaults concerned more boys (p = 0.05) while those of a sexual nature concerned female children (p=0.005). Victims of sexual aggression showed more sexualised behaviour (p<0.05). No significant differences were found in psychiatric diagnoses according to the type of assault, but an examination without abnormalities was prevalent in cases of psychological assault (p=0.009). Claims were significantly more difficult to interpret in preschool children (p=0.05). Child victims of sexual abuse had more subsequent requests for further investigations (p=0.05) and a judgment, pronounced in 34% of cases, was most often related to psychological abuse (p=0.05).ConclusionsThe practice of forensics requires a specific competence that requires extensive training. Better coordination between the professionals involved is needed as well as the creation of specialised forensic units.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Evaluating a Theory-Based Online Program for Preventing Sexual Aggression: An Experimental-Longitudinal Study With German University Students.

This pre-registered study evaluated an intervention designed to reduce sexual aggression perpetration and victimization by changing risky scripts for consensual sexual interactions and corresponding risky sexual behavior, and by improving sexual self-esteem, refusal assertiveness, and initiation assertiveness. In a four-wave longitudinal study covering 23 months, 1181 university students in Germany (762 female) were randomly assigned to an intervention and a no-intervention control group. The intervention group completed six weekly modules addressing the targeted theory-based risk and vulnerability factors of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization. Controlling for baseline levels (T1), the intervention group showed less risky sexual scripts one week post-intervention (T2), which predicted less risky sexual behavior nine months later (T3), which predicted lower odds of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization 12 months later (T4). No direct intervention effects on rates of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization at T3 and T4 were found. No indirect intervention effect on sexual aggression was found via sexual self-esteem and sexual assertiveness. However, sexual self-esteem at T2, which was higher in the intervention group, predicted lower odds of sexual aggression victimization at T3 via higher initiation assertiveness at T3. Implications for reducing sexual aggression and conceptualizing risk and vulnerability factors of sexual aggression are discussed.

Sexual Aggression among Women and Men in an Iranian Sample: Prevalence and Correlates

This pre-registered study examined the prevalence and correlates of sexual aggression in a sample of 530 Iranians (322 women, 208 men) with a behaviorally specific questionnaire distinguishing between different coercive strategies, victim-perpetrator relationships, and sexual acts. Significantly more women (63.0%) than men (51.0%) experienced at least one incident of sexual aggression victimization since the age of 15 years, and significantly more men (37.0%) than women (13.4%) reported at least one incident of sexual aggression perpetration. In women and men, the experience of child sexual abuse predicted sexual victimization and sexual aggression perpetration after the age of 15 years, both directly and indirectly through higher engagement in risky sexual behavior. Greater endorsement of hostile masculinity among men explained additional variance in the prediction of sexual aggression perpetration. This research is a first step towards documenting and explaining high rates of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among Iranian women and men, providing important information for sex education as well for the prevention of sexual aggression. However, to achieve these goals, we highlight the need for systematic actions in all educational, social, and legal sectors of Iranian society.

Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue in residential care workers of traumatized children

This research comprised of 13 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with residential care workers (seven males and six females), all based within the same UK residential care organisation, offering care for adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Interviews focussed on the psychological impact of traumatic events on staff functioning. Findings noted that participants had been exposed to varied distressing and traumatic experiences, occurring within and outside their employment. Experiences included witnessing or being a victim of physical and sexual aggression, witnessing self-injury or suicidal behaviour, and reading about neglect, abuse, self-injury, suicidal behaviour, and physical and sexual aggression from residents’ histories. When considering the psychological impact on staff, qualitative analyses identified themes of emotional distress and interpersonal discord. Furthermore, increased exposure to a young person’s traumatic experience led to endurance being prioritised over emotional wellbeing, ineffective coping, and poor sleep hygiene. A reduction in the impact of exposure to a young person’s traumatic experiences related to emotional and proactive support from others, use of effective coping, and increased knowledge and preparation into distressing events. The findings are discussed in relation to the overall impact of trauma exposure on staff, protective factors, and suggestions for staff intervention to reduce and/or remove potential impact.

Links of Perceived Pornography Realism with Sexual Aggression via Sexual Scripts, Sexual Behavior, and Acceptance of Sexual Coercion: A Study with German University Students.

Exposure to pornographic material has been linked to sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a large body of research. Based on social learning theory and 3A theory of script learning, this study contributes to this research by testing the hypothesis that the more realistic pornography is perceived to be by young adults, the more likely they are to experience and engage in sexual aggression. Two underlying pathways were proposed: one path via scripts and patterns of sexual behavior regarding consensual sexual interactions that contain established risk factors for sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, and a second path via the acceptance of sexual coercion. In a cross-sectional study, 1181 university students in Germany (762 female; 419 male) completed measures of pornography use and perception, risky sexual scripts and sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. As predicted, pornography realism was a positive predictor of risky sexual scripts, risky sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. Indirect links with sexual aggression victimization and perpetration were found via both pathways. No gender differences in the associations were found. The implications for media literacy interventions addressing the realism of pornography are discussed.

Order Effects of Presenting Coercive Tactics on Young Adults’ Reports of Sexual Victimization

Measures designed to collect prevalence reports of sexual victimization need to be robust against variations of question context to yield valid findings. Previous research has examined variations in the order in which questions about unwanted sexual acts and questions about coercive tactics are presented. The current study examined potential effects of the order in which coercive tactics are presented on self-reported prevalence rates of sexual victimization. The following two versions of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S), a validated measure for studying sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in college students, were used: (a) the standard version in which the physical-force items were presented first and the items referring to the use of verbal pressure were presented last, and (b) a reversed order in which the verbal-pressure items were presented first and the physical-force items were presented last. Items referring to the exploitation of the victim's inability to resist were placed in the middle in both versions. In a sample of 856 participants from Germany (475 female, 381 male, mean age of 24 years), most of whom were university students, 80.4% of women and 55.3% of men reported at least one experience of sexual victimization since the age of 14. No order effects on overall victimization rates were found. For both genders, the victimization rate through verbal pressure was higher when this tactic was presented first. Victimization rates through the threat or use of force were higher in the force-first than in the force-last condition for women, but could not be tested for men due to small cell sizes. No order effects were found for both men and women on reports of victimization through exploiting the inability to resist. The implications of the results for the reliable measurement of sexual aggression are discussed.

Prevalence of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in a German University Student Sample

This study examined the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a sample of 1,172 students (755 female, 417 male) from four universities in Germany. All participants were asked about both victimization by, and perpetration of, sexual aggression since the age of 14 years, using the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). Prevalence rates were established for different coercive strategies, sexual acts, and victim–perpetrator relationships. Both same-sex and opposite-sex victim–perpetrator constellations were examined. The overall victimization rate was 62.1% for women and 37.5% for men. The overall perpetration rate was 17.7% for men and 9.4% for women. Prevalence rates of both victimization and perpetration were higher for participants who had sexual contacts with both opposite-sex and same-sex partners than for participants with exclusively opposite-sex partners. Significant overlap was found between victim and perpetrator status for men and women as well as for participants with only opposite-sex and both opposite-sex and same-sex partners. A disparity between (higher) victimization and (lower) perpetration reports was found for both men and women, suggesting a general underreporting of perpetration rather than a gendered explanation in terms of social desirability or the perception of consent cues. The findings are placed in the international research literature on the prevalence of sexual aggression before and after the #metoo campaign, and their implications for prevention efforts are discussed.

The Deleterious Effect of Victimization on Just World Beliefs

Being a victim of a violent crime is a traumatic experience. Sexual victimization, in particular, may be powerful enough to change presumably stable worldviews like just world beliefs. Across two large samples, we examined the influence of sexual victimization on just world beliefs. Results of Study 1 (N = 727) indicated that victims of sexual aggression had significantly lower levels of just world beliefs compared to nonvictims. Other researchers have claimed that sexual aggression is a uniquely intense traumatic event. Therefore, in a second study, we examined (a) whether just world belief endorsement was associated with the frequency of victimization, and (b) whether sexual aggression was unique in its effect on just world belief endorsement compared to other crimes such as physical assault. Results of Study 2 (N = 2,011) indicated that multiple incidents of victimization did not meaningfully impact just world beliefs compared to a single instance and just world belief endorsement was not significantly different across victims of sexual aggression, robbery, physical assault, or arson. An exploratory analysis, however, indicated there was a significant difference in victims' behavior such that victims of sexual aggression were the least likely to have reported the crime. We end with a discussion of how the present research can advance our understanding of just world belief ideology and discuss the practical implications for professionals working with and studying victims of violent crimes.

Psychological and Forensic Challenges Regarding Youth Consumption of Pornography: A Narrative Review

Nowadays, technology has become part of the daily activities of a large part of the population. Many of the activities and development and socialization processes of minors and young people have been transferred to the online world, generating attention and concern from the educational, scientific, and forensic communities. One of the most worrying issues derived from this new online world is the consumption of pornography by teens. The objective of this literature review is to draw attention to the consequences and emotional disturbances derived from the consumption of pornography in young people, as well as the forensic implications of this phenomenon, among which are paraphilias, perpetration, and victimization of sexual assaults, and the development of new forms of online sexual victimization. The main findings suggest that the first contact with pornography starts at the age of 8 years old, with important behavioral and psychological consequences, such as hypersexualization, emotional disturbances, and the perpetuation of gender inequality. Furthermore, pornography consumption by youth has been linked to the exacerbation of paraphilias, an increase in sexual aggression perpetration and victimization, and, finally, it has been linked to an increase in online sexual victimization. Implications and future lines of research are discussed.

Cross-Cultural Analysis of Teen Dating Victimization: Typologies, Correlates, and Implications for Intervention.

Dating violence (DV) is still a global problem of enormous proportions. Scientific and social consensus highlights the necessity of performing typological analyses in order to better understand the diverse violent experiences and intervention needs of the victims. The sample comprised 1,308 Mexican and Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 18, who had been victims of DV. Two-step cluster analyses were performed for each country using the frequency and severity of the victimization as grouping variables, which was followed by an analysis of the differences between clusters in personal and relationship characteristics. The analyses suggested three clusters in both countries: Victims of psychological aggression, Victims of psychological and physical aggression, and Victims of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression. The early start of the first dating relationship and the prolonged exposure to aggression throughout different relationships were associated with the most victimized groups. The findings highlight the need to start intervention strategies at a young age targeting the promotion of skills to recognize and confront violence before it is established as a pattern of coexistence with the significant other.

Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Relationships to Sexual Risk-Related Behaviors Among College Students

Background: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major public health concern, often initially experienced in young adulthood; IPV has been associated with adverse sexual health and sexual risk outcomes. Objective: This study examined 1) correlates of experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and 2) IPV in relation to sexual risk-related behaviors among college students. Methods: We analyzed 2016 cross-sectional survey data regarding sociodemographics, past IPV experiences, and sexual risk-related behaviors (sex after drug/alcohol use, condomless sex) among male and female students aged 18-25 from seven Georgia colleges/universities, respectively. Results: IPV victimization was associated with being Black, greater depressive symptoms, and substance use. Multivariable regression, including sociodemographic covariates, indicated that alcohol/drug use before the last sex was associated with sexual and physical aggression victimization among men (Nagelkerke R-squared=.155), but with fewer negotiation experiences and more injury experiences among women (Nagelkerke R-squared=.107). Condom less sex at last intercourse was associated with psychological aggression experiences among women (Nagelkerke R-squared=.125), but with no IPV factor among men (Nagelkerke R-squared=.188). Conclusion: The distinct relationships between IPV and sexual risk among men and women underscore the need for targeted prevention interventions.

Does Question Format Matter in Assessing the Prevalence of Sexual Aggression? A Methodological Study

ABSTRACT As research on sexual aggression has been growing, methodological issues in assessing prevalence rates have received increased attention. Building on work by Abbey and colleagues about effects of question format, participants in this study (1,253; 621 female; 632 male) were randomly assigned to one of two versions of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). In Version 1, the coercive tactic (use/threat of physical force, exploitation of the inability to resist, verbal pressure) was presented first, and sexual acts (sexual touch, attempted and completed sexual intercourse, other sexual acts) were presented as subsequent questions. In Version 2, sexual acts were presented first, and coercive tactics as subsequent questions. No version effects emerged for overall perpetration rates reported by men and women. The overall victimization rate across all items was significantly higher in the tactic-first than in the sexual-act-first conditions for women, but not for men. Classifying participants by their most severe experience of sexual victimization showed that fewer women were in the nonvictim category and more men were in the nonconsensual sexual contact category when the coercive tactic was presented first. Sexual experience background did not moderate the findings. The implications for the measurement of self-reported sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are discussed.

Changing Cognitive Risk Factors for Sexual Aggression: Risky Sexual Scripts, Low Sexual Self-Esteem, Perception of Pornography, and Acceptance of Sexual Coercion.

Sexual aggression is a problem among college students worldwide, and a growing body of research has identified variables associated with an increased risk of victimization and perpetration. Among these, sexuality-related cognitions, such as sexual scripts, sexual self-esteem, perceived realism of pornography, and acceptance of sexual coercion, play a major role. The current experimental study aimed to show that these cognitive risk factors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are amenable to change, which is a critical condition for evidence-based intervention efforts. College students in Germany (N = 324) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a treatment group designed to change participants’ sexual scripts for consensual sex with regard to the role of alcohol consumption, casual sex, and ambiguous communication of sexual intentions as risk factors for sexual aggression (EG1), a treatment group designed to promote sexual self-esteem, challenge the perceived realism of pornography, and reduce the acceptance of sexual coercion (EG2), and a non-treatment control group (CG). Baseline (T1), post-experimental (T2), and follow-up (T3) measures were taken across an eight-week period. Sexual scripts contained fewer risk factors for sexual aggression in EG1 than in EG2 and CG at T3. Sexual self-esteem was enhanced in EG2 at T2 relative to the other two groups. Acceptance of sexual coercion was lower in EG2 than in EG1 and CG at T2 and T3. No effect was found for perceived realism of pornography. The findings are discussed in terms of targeting cognitive risk factors as a basis for intervention programs.

Sexual Aggression in Brazilian Nightclubs: Associations with Patron's Characteristics, Drug Use, and Environmental Factors.

Bars and nightclubs are main locations for sexual assault outcomes such as rape, attempted rape, stalking, and other forms of sexual harassment. Alcohol use is strongly associated with violence in nightlife settings. The present study aimed to identify individual and environmental factors, such as different types of nightclubs, music styles, and physical environment associated with nightclub patron's report of being victims of sexual aggression inside nightclubs in São Paulo, Brazil. Two levels of data were collected: observational data inside nightclubs and individual-level survey data of 2422 patrons at the entrance and 1822 patrons (1111 men; 711 women) at the exit of 31 nightclubs. Among patrons, 11.5% (95% CI 7.9-16.2%) reported being a victim of sexual aggression inside the venues in the night of the survey. Groping and forced kissing were the most prevalent forms of sexual aggression (9.8%; [7.2-13.1%]), which was more strongly associated with environmental factors such as crowding (OR = 2.9 [1.6-5.2%]), entrance consumption fee (OR = 4.2 [2.5-7.0%]), and music style than with individual-level factors. In funk (OR = 3.3 [1.6-6.9%]), electronic (OR = 3.2 [1.8-5.8%]), and pop dance (OR = 7.9 [2.2-29.1%]) nightclubs, patrons had higher chances of being a victim of sexual aggression compared to those ones at the eclectic nightclubs. Presence of reserved areas for sex increased the chances of reporting sexual aggression (OR = 1.8 [1.2-2.8%]). No significant gender differences for sexual aggression were detected. Results suggest a requirement of security improvement where environmental characteristics are potential predictors of victimization.

The Relationship Between Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration and Other Types of IPV Among Iranian Married Individuals.

This study examined the relationship between sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration and other types of IPV among married men and women in Tehran, Iran. Data were collected from 116 males and 121 females who reported perpetrating or experiencing IPV at least once in the past year. Four path analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between different types of violence and sexual aggression. The model explained 57% of the variance in men's sexual aggression perpetration and 44% of the variance in women's sexual aggression perpetration. Also, the model explained 58% of the variance in men's and 45% of the variance in women's sexual aggression victimization. Findings of this study emphasize the importance of understanding how one type of violence can be a context for other types of violence.

Pervasive, hard-wired and male: Qualitative study of how UK adolescents view alcohol-related aggression.

Laboratory studies of alcohol-inexperienced adolescents show that aggression can be primed by alcohol-related stimuli, suggesting that alcohol-related aggression is partly socially learned. Script theory proposes that alcohol-related aggression ‘scripts’ for social behaviors are culturally-available and learned by individuals. The purpose of the study was to understand the content and origins of alcohol-related aggression scripts learned by adolescents. This qualitative focus group study of 40 adolescents (ages 14–16 years) examined alcohol-related aggression scripts. Participants believed aggression and severe injury to be pervasive when young people drink. Viewed through a biological lens, participants described aggression as an ‘instinctive’ and ‘hard-wired’ male trait facilitated by intoxication. As such, alcohol-related aggression was not seen as intended or personally controllable and participants did not see it in moral terms. Females were largely viewed as either bystanders of inter-male aggression or potential victims of male sexual aggression. Participants attributed their views on the frequency and nature of alcohol-related aggression to current affairs and reality television, which they felt portrayed a reality of which they had little experience. The origins of the explicitly biological frameworks that participants used seemed to lie in pre-existing beliefs about the nature of gender differences. Perceptions of the pervasiveness of male alcohol-related aggression, and the consequent failure to view alcohol-related aggression in moral terms, could dispose some young people to alcohol-related aggression. Interventions could target (1) the beliefs that alcohol-related aggression is pervasive and uncontrollable in males, and (2) participants’ dysfunctional views of masculinity that underpin those beliefs.

Experiences of Sexual Violence Myth Following Different Types of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence myth has a substantial influence on the occurrence/overcoming/signifying of, and response to sexual assault. This study starts from a critical view on how victims of sexual violence experience misconception in different relationships and under different conditions. We surveyed 235 victims and conducted 14 in-depth interviews to look into how they experience sexual violence myth depending on their relationship with perpetrators, their age when the incident took place, and whether the incident was rape or not. The results show that victims are more vulnerable to sexual violence myth during investigation or court trial, by people around them and media, especially when the victims are adult women, and they knew/were close with/went on dates with/had drinks with the perpetrators on their own will. Victims of sexual aggression by stranger or rape are relatively less prone to experience rape myth in which their sufferings are questioned, denied, downplayed, and even attributed to them. Damages of sexual violence cannot be measured objectively by its types. It varies depending on the relationships and circumstances surrounding the incident. Therefore, no one but the victim can define the damage and its significance for each case. Nonetheless, rape myth instigated by family members, acquaintances, and media, often during investigation/trial procedures, assumes that feelings suffered by victims/women such as discomfort, anger, false accusation, and betrayal, can be easily edited and altered. Impacts of sexual assault are not a matter to be accepted based on biased social misconceptions. It should be about how much the society can empathize with the challenges that victims/women face.