Research Article
Examining the Psychological Effect of Rape Acknowledgment: The Interaction of Acknowledgment Status and Ambivalent Sexism
Laura C. Wilson,
Katherine E. Miller, Emma K. Leheney, Alesha D. Ballman, Angela Scarpa,
Corresponding Author
Laura C. Wilson
University of Mary Washington
Please address correspondence to: Laura C. Wilson, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg VA 22401. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorLaura C. Wilson,
Katherine E. Miller, Emma K. Leheney, Alesha D. Ballman, Angela Scarpa,
Corresponding Author
Laura C. Wilson
University of Mary Washington
Please address correspondence to: Laura C. Wilson, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg VA 22401. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorWe thank Brittany L. Simmons, whose affiliation was the University of Mary Washington at the time of the project, for her helpful role in assisting with the design of the study and data analysis.
Abstract
Objective
Although the majority of rape survivors do not label their experiences as rape (i.e., unacknowledged rape), the literature is mixed in terms of how this affects survivors’ psychological functioning. To elucidate the discrepancies, the present study examined the interaction between rape acknowledgement and ambivalent sexism in relation to depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Method
The analyzed sample included 128 female rape survivors who were drawn from a larger college sample of 1,595 participants. The participants completed measures of sexual assault experiences, ambivalent sexism, and depression and PTSD symptoms.
Results
The results supported a significant interaction between acknowledgement status and benevolent sexism in relation to both depression and PTSD symptoms. Conversely, the present study failed to find support for an interaction between acknowledgment status and hostile sexism.
Conclusion
The clinical implications suggest that rather than seeing acknowledging rape as essential to the recovery process, clinicians should assess for and take into account other factors that may contribute to psychological functioning. Additionally, the findings support that more complex models of trauma recovery should be investigated with the goal of working toward a more comprehensive understanding of the longitudinal process of rape acknowledgment.
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