NCJ Number
187741
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 49-63
Date Published
February 2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study attempts to determine the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress following physical and sexual assault in a young adult cohort.
Abstract
Among a birth cohort of New Zealand's 21-year-olds, 41 percent had experienced physical or sexual assault in the previous 12 months. The level of psychological distress experienced by the 374 victims was determined in interviews assessing for symptoms indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder and ratings of impairment in activities of daily living. Of the 141 women victims, 32.6 percent were identified as experiencing psychological distress, as were 9.9 percent of the 233 men. For men, bivariate analyses showed psychological distress was significantly associated with factors indicative of increased assault severity, and for women an increased likelihood of distress was associated with the location of assault and the relationship to the assailant. Positive indicators of social support were not significantly associated with less adverse psychological outcomes. However, for both men and women, resisting the assailant was associated with a reduced likelihood of psychological distress. Multivariate analyses revealed that for both women and men, unemployment uniquely predicted variance in distress, over and above that accounted for by characteristics of the assault. Tables, references