Types Of Rape Research Articles

PTSD Symptomatology and Hazardous Drinking as Risk Factors for Sexual Assault Revictimization: Examination in European American and African American Women

A sexual victimization history is a risk factor for experiencing further sexual victimization. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms have been posited as predictors of revictimization through multiple pathways, including through their association with risk recognition and alcohol use. There is, however, limited longitudinal research examining these revictimization risk factors, including the extent to which they predict risk for forcible rape (rape involving threat or force) and incapacitated rape (rape of a victim incapacitated by substances). Additionally, there is no research evaluating ethnic differences in revictimization risk pathways. The current study examined PTSD symptoms and hazardous drinking as predictors of new forcible and incapacitated rape over 1 year in a community sample of European American (n = 217) and African American (n = 272) sexual assault victims (M = 34 years; 84% high school education or above). We hypothesized that PTSD symptoms would predict both types of revictimization and hazardous drinking would predict incapacitated rape. Results supported that PTSD symptoms predicted both types of rape (forcible rape, β = .34; incapacitated rape, β = .20), and hazardous drinking predicted incapacitated rape (β = .24). PTSD symptoms predicted hazardous drinking in African American women only (β = .20). Thus, there is a need to evaluate risk pathways for specific types of victimization among diverse samples.

Symptom Responses to a Continuum of Sexual Trauma

This study reports the findings of an anonymous web-based survey to test differences in symptom presentation (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) among women who experienced different types of sexual trauma (forcible, pressured, sex stress). The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design with an online convenience sample of 243 adult females living primarily in the United States. The findings revealed that there was a statistically significant difference among type of sexual trauma groups for depression (p = .013) and PTSD (p = .044) but not for anxiety (p = .183). Post hoc analysis of the overall difference in depression revealed that the multiple rape type group (p = .010) and the forcible sex group (p = .016) had higher levels of depression.

High-density SNP-based genetic map development and linkage disequilibrium assessment in Brassica napus L

BackgroundHigh density genetic maps built with SNP markers that are polymorphic in various genetic backgrounds are very useful for studying the genetics of agronomical traits as well as genome organization and evolution. Simultaneous dense SNP genotyping of segregating populations and variety collections was applied to oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) to obtain a high density genetic map for this species and to study the linkage disequilibrium pattern.ResultsWe developed an integrated genetic map for oilseed rape by high throughput SNP genotyping of four segregating doubled haploid populations. A very high level of collinearity was observed between the four individual maps and a large number of markers (>59%) was common to more than two maps. The precise integrated map comprises 5764 SNP and 1603 PCR markers. With a total genetic length of 2250 cM, the integrated map contains a density of 3.27 markers (2.56 SNP) per cM. Genotyping of these mapped SNP markers in oilseed rape collections allowed polymorphism level and linkage disequilibrium (LD) to be studied across the different collections (winter vs spring, different seed quality types) and along the linkage groups. Overall, polymorphism level was higher and LD decayed faster in spring than in “00” winter oilseed rape types but this was shown to vary greatly along the linkage groups.ConclusionsOur study provides a valuable resource for further genetic studies using linkage or association mapping, for marker assisted breeding and for Brassica napus sequence assembly and genome organization analyses.

Indicadores comportamentais de propensão ao homicídio em agressores sexuais

OBJETIVO: Avaliamos se existe associação entre características de personalidade e tipo de estupro cometido (com ou sem a morte da vítima). MÉTODOS: Como estratégias de estudo, utilizaram-se indicadores comportamentais que podem ser associados à personalidade antissocial, de modo a diferenciar os comportamentos externalizantes de agressores sexuais que matam ou não suas vítimas. RESULTADOS: Os agressores sexuais apresentaram comportamentos externalizantes relacionados à personalidade antissocial. O grupo de indivíduos que cometeu estupro seguido de morte tem esses traços comportamentais mais presentes no decorrer da vida. CONCLUSÃO: Concluímos que os agressores sexuais aparentam ter indicadores que permitem uma investigação mais profunda em relação à personalidade antissocial, mas aqueles que matam suas vítimas diferem quanto ao seu histórico comportamental daqueles que não cometem o homicídio subsequente ao ato de estupro. São indicadores comportamentais da propensão ao homicídio em agressores sexuais: estarem, mais comumente, sob os efeitos de álcool/drogas durante o ato de estupro, propensão ao suicídio, prematuridade de início da vida criminosa e alta impulsividade.

Patterns of molecular variation in a species-wide germplasm set of Brassica napus

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is the leading European oilseed crop serving as source for edible oil and renewable energy. The objectives of our study were to (i) examine the population structure of a large and diverse set of B. napus inbred lines, (ii) investigate patterns of genetic diversity within and among different germplasm types, (iii) compare the two genomes of B. napus with regard to genetic diversity, and (iv) assess the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Our study was based on 509 B. napus inbred lines genotyped with 89 genome-specific SSR primer combinations. Both a principal coordinate analysis and software STRUCTURE revealed that winter types, spring types, and swedes were assigned to three major clusters. The genetic diversity of winter oilseed rape was lower than the diversity found in other germplasm types. Within winter oilseed rape types, a decay of genetic diversity with more recent release dates and reduced levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates was observed. The percentage of linked SSR loci pairs in significant (r (2)>Q (95 unlinked loci pairs)) LD was 6.29% for the entire germplasm set. Furthermore, LD decayed rapidly with distance, which will allow a relatively high mapping resolution in genome-wide association studies using our germplasm set, but, on the other hand, will require a high number of markers.

Is Reporting of Rape on the Rise? A Comparison of Women With Reported Versus Unreported Rape Experiences in the National Women’s Study-Replication

Rape affects one in seven women nationwide. Historically, most rape victims do not report rape to law enforcement. Research is needed to identify barriers to reporting and correlates of reporting to guide policy recommendations that address such barriers. We investigated the prevalence of reporting rape among a national sample of women (N = 3,001) interviewed in 2006. The study also examined predictors of reporting as well as barriers to reporting, concerns about reporting, and women's experiences with the reporting process. Results demonstrated that the overall prevalence of reporting (15.8%) has not significantly increased since the 1990s. Differences were found between rape types, with rapes involving drug or alcohol incapacitation or facilitation being less likely to be reported than forcible rapes. Several predictors of reporting emerged in multivariable analyses. Implications for public health and public policy are discussed.

Reported rapes at a hospital rape centre: Demographic and clinical profiles

Figures for the period 2008/2009 indicate a 10% rise in the number of reported sexual offences compared with figures for 2007/2008. The increase may be partly attributable to the recent version of the act regulating sexual offences: the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, Act 32 of 2007 (Act). In this Act, the definition of rape has been broadened to include the non-consensual vaginal, oral or anal penetration of any person, regardless of gender, with any object. South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world and the most violent types of rape in the world, with gang rape and severe physical injury to rape victims commonly occurring. Moreover, the consequences of rape potentially include many medical and psychological difficulties, such as unwanted pregnancy, risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), genital and physical injury, and psychological disturbance e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, increased risk of suicide ideation, and alcohol and drug abuse problems. Rape survivors have specific health needs, ideally met by providing integrated and holistic post-rape services, including the provision of pregnancy testing and prevention, termination of pregnancy, testing and treatment of STIs and injuries, and psychosocial counselling. Rape survivors strongly value the availability of HIV prophylaxis, an understanding health care provider, access to and receiving counselling, and thorough physical examination, emphasising the need for a holistic approach to post-rape care. The Act aims to provide certain services to survivors of sexual assault to minimise or prevent further traumatisation, yet the only medical service conditionally provided to rape survivors is the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). We aimed to replicate and build on a previous record review of female rape survivors by providing an overview of the demographic, clinical, and rape characteristics of female and male children and adult rape survivors presenting to a rape centre in the Western Cape. We aimed to provide evidence and support for the ongoing call for the provision of effective and integrated post-rape services for rape survivors.

The effect of exogenous methyl jasmonate on the flowering time, floral organ morphology, and transcript levels of a group of genes implicated in the development of oilseed rape flowers (Brassica napus L.)

The oilseed rape plant's transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stage is important to its yield. This transition is controlled by a large group of flowering time genes that respond to environmental and endogenous cues. The role of jasmonates in flowering is almost unknown in Brassicaceae, even in the genus Arabidopsis. In this paper, the clear effect of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the flowering time, floral organ morphology, and transcript levels of a group of genes implicated in floral development is shown. In controlled greenhouse experiments, we found that the effect of MeJA depended on both plant genotype and jasmonate dosage. MeJA promoted maximum flowering when it was applied to the cultivars of early flowering types of oilseed rape, such as cultivars Mei-Jian and Fu-You 4. In addition, a concentration of 100 microM resulted in the most number of early open flowers, in comparison with the results obtained for concentrations of 50 and 80 microM. Furthermore, the application of high concentrations of MeJA (100 microM) also produced various kinds of abnormal flowers. Our results demonstrated that the combined actions of the floral identity genes, specifically BnAP1, BnAP2, BnAP3, BnAG1, and BnPI3, as reflected by their respective relative transcript levels, were responsible for causing the different kinds of flower abnormalities previously undescribed in oilseed rape. We expect our assay to be an enriching addition to the body of work that attempts to understand the signaling function of jasmonates in the floral inductive pathway.

Male Rape Victim and Perpetrator Blaming

One of four possible vignettes manipulated by (a) level of rape myth contained within them (low vs. high) and (b) type of rape (stranger vs. acquaintance) was presented to participants followed by scales measuring victim blame, perpetrator blame, belief in a just world, sex-role egalitarian beliefs, and male rape myth acceptance. Victim blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance. Perpetrator blaming was predicted by male rape myth acceptance and sex-role egalitarianism. Differences were found in victim and perpetrator blaming in terms of stranger and acquaintance rape and also in relation to manipulating the level of rape myths. Findings are discussed in relation to the previous literature on rape victim and perpetrator blaming.

Perceptions of Rape and Attitudes Toward Women in a Sample of Lebanese Students

This study investigated values, ambivalent sexism, religiosity, religious differences, gender, and attitudes toward rape victims as predictors of rape myths in a sample of Lebanese students (N = 300). Values of self-transcendence and conservation, gender, hostile sexism, and attitudes toward rape victims emerged as significant predictors of rape myths, confirming some of the premises in the literature. Type of rape (date, marital, acquaintance, and stranger rape) and victim's characteristics (widowed, married, devout, promiscuous, and chaste) were also investigated. Results revealed that no matter what the relationship between the victim and her perpetrator was, and regardless of the victim's characteristics, forcible sexual contact was always considered as rape. However, differences did emerge as to the degree to which these variations were perceived as rape. Implication of findings for research and the Lebanese culture are discussed.

Understanding attribution of blame in cases of rape: An analysis of participant gender, type of rape and perceived similarity to the victim

This study examined a variety of factors that may influence attributions towards rape victims. A total of 156 participants completed a questionnaire, which included a measure of attitudes towards rape victims and a vignette depicting one of three rape scenarios (a stranger rape, date rape and seduction rape). Participants rated the extent to which they blamed the rape victim as well as the degree to which they identified with the victim and perpetrator. Results indicated that male participants blamed the victim to a greater extent than did female participants, with participants consistently attributing most blame to the victim in the seduction rape scenario, then the date rape scenario, and finally the stranger rape scenario. Perceptions of similarity to the rape victim and perpetrator were correlated negatively with attributions of blame. These findings have important implications for juror selection, jury decision-making and attempts to improve the conviction rate in rape cases.

Forcible, drug-facilitated, and incapacitated rape in relation to substance use problems: Results from a national sample of college women

This is the first study to examine the relation between rape and substance use problems in college women as a function of three legally recognized forms of rape: forcible, incapacitated, and substance-facilitated rape. Data were collected via structured telephone interview with a large national sample of college women aged 18–34 years ( n = 1980). Lifetime prevalence of any type of rape was 11.3% in the sample. Prevalence estimates for binge drinking and substance abuse were 15.8% and 19.8%, respectively. Lifetime experience of incapacitated rape and drug–alcohol facilitated rape, but not forcible rape, were associated with increased odds of past-year binge drinking and substance abuse. Findings have implications for secondary prevention and call for continued differentiation in assessment of rape type.

The sexual stratification hypothesis revisited: Testing assumptions about simple versus aggravated rape

Previous research testing the sexual stratification hypothesis has included only African American and White victims and suspects. This study also included Hispanic victims and suspects. Using data on all sexual assaults reported to the San Diego Police from 1995 to 2002, the analysis focused on the effects of the racial/ethnic composition of the victim/offender dyad, the relationship between victim and offender, and type of rape on three sexual assault case outcomes: whether the victim declined prosecution, whether the police unfounded the crime, and whether the district attorney filed charges. A secondary analysis employed the liberation hypothesis to test whether the effect of race was confined to simple rape. Results indicated that the racial composition of the victim/offender dyad was largely insignificant in determining case outcomes, but that the relationship between victim and offender and whether the suspect and victim were under the influence of alcohol or drugs had strong effects.

Social Influences on Judgments of Rape Victims: The Role of the Negative and Positive Social Reactions of Others

An experimental study examined whether judgments about a rape victim can be influenced by the social reactions of others, and whether this effect would be moderated by the type of rape (stranger or date rape) or by the gender of the participants. One hundred and ten U.S. college students (90% white; 59% female) responded to rape vignettes in which the type of rape and the social reactions received by the victim (negative, positive, or neutral) were manipulated. People exposed to negative social reactions made less positive judgments. Men and people who read about a date rape also made less positive judgments, but neither variable interacted with type of reactions to impact judgments.

Challenges of implementing the Rape Amendment Act in post-conflict Liberia

abstract On 29 December 2005, the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) passed the Act to Amend the New Penal Code Chapter 14 Sections 14.70 and 14.71 and to Provide for Gang Rape (RAA). The law is designed to protect individuals from the type of systematic rape that took place during and after the Liberian civil war. The legislature approved the RAA and the president supported it, but it is difficult to implement in court. The current, post-conflict judicial system cannot handle its caseload, so rape victims have little recourse other than the customary law system. Liberians rely on customary law because it is established and understood. While rebuilding the formal system, the government and non-governmental organisations need to explain the RAA and criminal procedure to the population. This profile discusses the creation and implementation of rape law in post-conflict Liberia and explains some of the difficulties of prosecuting rape cases.

Rape perpetration by young, rural South African men: Prevalence, patterns and risk factors

Sexual violence is a well-recognised global health problem, but there has been remarkably little research on men as perpetrators. The objectives of this paper are to describe the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with rape of an intimate partner and a woman who was not a partner with men aged 15–26 years in rural South Africa. The analysis presented here is of data collected during a baseline survey of participants in a cluster randomised controlled trial of an HIV behavioural intervention. A total of 1370 male volunteers were recruited from 70 rural South African villages. They completed a questionnaire asking about background, sexual practices and perpetration of rape and intimate partner violence. Among these men 16.3% had raped a non-partner, or participated in a form of gang rape; 8.4% had been sexually violent towards an intimate partner; and 79.1% had done neither. The mean age of first rape was 17 years. There was overlap between rape of a non-partner and partner, in that 44.3% of men who raped an intimate partner had also raped a non-partner, but overall the great majority of men who raped did not disclose both types of rape. The factors associated with rape of an intimate partner and non-partner had similarities and differences. After adjusting for the other variables, both forms of rape were strongly associated with ever having been physically violent to a partner, having had transactional sex with a casual partner and more sexual partners. Non-partner rape was also associated with peer-related variables, including gang membership and peer pressure to have sex, and also drug use. Non-partner rape was more common among wealthier and relatively more socially advantaged men. Both types of rape were associated with having more adverse childhood experiences. There was considerable overlap between rape-associated factors and known HIV risk factors, suggesting a need for further research on the interface of rape and HIV, and integrated prevention programming.

Hostile Sexism, Type of Rape, and Self-Reported Rape Proclivity Within a Sample of Zimbabwean Males

The role of hostile sexism in accounting for rape proclivity among men was investigated using a sample of Zimbabwean students. Participants were presented with either an acquaintance rape or a stranger rape scenario and asked to respond to five questions about the scenario designed to assess rape proclivity. As expected, a significant relationship between hostile sexism and rape proclivity was obtained in the acquaintance rape but not the stranger rape condition. These results replicate previous research and suggest that hostile sexists are more likely to express their hostility toward women in situations where such behavior might be perceived as acceptable.

A case in south-eastern France: A review of drug facilitated sexual assault in European and English-speaking countries

Drug facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) have been increasingly reported in the medical literature since the 1980s but their legal recognition is more recent, at least in Europe. From a case treated in south-eastern France, whose judicial consequences were known, it seemed of interest to carry out an international study of jurisprudence concerning this type of rape. While from the medical viewpoint the drugs used are well-known and their presence can be clinically verified, the legal consequences of their use in subsequent criminal prosecution is less clear-cut. Some European countries have no jurisprudence in this area, while others consider the use of drugs as an aggravating circumstance. In France, it was only in 2003 that the first case of DFSA was truly punished by the judicial system, with considerable media attention. By contrast, in English-speaking countries, particularly the United States, the use of drugs to facilitate sexual assault has frequently been recognized in legislation and in criminal prosecutions. Prevention is fundamental and is recognised as demonstrated by campaigns in various countries.

The Effect of Victims' Social Support on Attributions of Blame in Female and Male Rape

The effects of perceived social support of the victim, victim gender, and participant gender on attributions of blame in rape were examined. The impact of attitudes toward gender roles was also investigated for their mediational role between participant gender and blame. Participants (N= 121) read a report of an incident of rape and evaluated the victim and the perpetrator. Two ANOVAs showed that social support and participant gender influenced blame attributed to the victim, while victim gender influenced blame attributed to the perpetrator. Socially supported victims were blamed less than were unsupported victims. Men were more blaming of rape victims than were women, but further analyses showed this was mediated by attitudes toward gender roles. Men held significantly more traditional attitudes toward gender roles than did women, and this accounted for the effect of participant gender on victim perceptions. The perpetrator of male rape was blamed less than the perpetrator of female rape. Findings are discussed in terms of the differential attributional mechanisms that may underpin men's and women's reasoning about different types of rape.

Behavioral Characteristics of Men Accused of Rape: Evidence for Different Types of Rapists

The aim of this study was to determine whether the behavioral characteristics demonstrated by rapists clustered together into groups that were similar to the common rapist typology in the literature: anger, power exploitative, power reassurance, and sadistic. Two studies were conducted to examine the evidence for this typology. Study 1 involved the analysis of data from 130 men charged with sexual assault and Study 2 involved the analysis of court transcripts from 50 rape cases tried through the court system. The results of Study 1 revealed that there was some validity to the characteristics usually associated with each of the four types of rape, especially for the power reassurance and sadistic rapists. However, there were some unexpected outliers within both the anger and power exploitative types of rapists, which may suggest that there is more than one type of anger rapist and more than two types of power rapists. The results of Study 2 very closely replicated the results of Study 1. Future research needs to focus on the behavioral, motivational, and cognitive characteristics associated with each of the types of rapists and research them separately, so that it is possible to further evaluate the evidence for the typology identified in this study.