Stranger and Acquaintance Rape: Are There Differences In the Victim's Experience? Show all authors Mary P. Koss, Thomas E. Dinero, Cynthia A. Seibel, ... First Published March 1, 1988 Research Article https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1988.tb00924.x Article information Abstract Most published research on the victim–offender relationship has been based on small samples that consisted mainly of women who were raped by nonintimate and nonromantic acquaintances, who viewed their experience as rape, and/or who were seeking treatment. In the present study, 489 rape victims were located among a national sample of 3, 187 female college students by a self-report survey that avoided reliance on helpseekers. Two sets of comparisons were performed. First, the experiences reported by victims of stranger rape (n = 52) were compared with those of victims of acquaintance rape (n = 416). Then, the experiences of women assaulted by different types of acquaintances were compared including nonromantic acquaintances (n = 122), casual dates (n = 103), steady dates (n = 147), and spouses or other family members (n = 44). Rapes by acquaintances, compared with strangers, were more likely to involve a single offender and multiple episodes, were less likely to be seen as rape or to be revealed to anyone, and were similar in terms of the victim's resistance. In general, acquaintance rapes were rated as less violent than stranger rapes. The exception was rapes by husbands or other family members which were rated equally violent to stranger rapes but were much less likely to occur in a context of drinking or other drug use. In spite of these different crime characteristics, virtually no differences were found among any of the groups in their levels of psychological symptoms. A significant feature of these data is that they have tapped the experiences of unreported and unacknowledged rape victims, a group that is potentially much larger than the group of identified victims. Journal of Applied Communication Research Vol. 31, No. 4, November 2003, pp. 298–319 Reflections on Healing: Framing Strategies Utilized by Acquaintance Rape Survivors Sandra L. French ABSTRACT This study examines the stories acquaintance rape victims tell through semi-structured interviews. Acquaintance rape, viewed here as a particularly paradoxical crime, creates a need for women to resolve the inconsistency of their experience. By conducting interviews with victims and analyzing their verbal communication, this project explores how victims frame their rape experience. Framing strategies used by victims of sexual harassment served as a guide for the initial identification of framing strategies for victims of acquaintance rape. Women in this study utilized strategies of paradox management to assess blame, define, and reframe their experiences. Recognition of these management strategies can assist social support networks and law enforcement professionals in identifying the communicative strategies of female victims of varying types of violence. Acquaintance Rape: The Influence of Alcohol, Fraternity Membership, and Sports Team Membership Mary Pat Frintner &Laurna Rubinson Pages 272-284 | Published online: 21 Jan 2015 Abstract The present study was conducted to determine the extent of sexual victimization among undergraduate women at a large midwestern university with specific attention to alcohol use, fraternity membership, and sports team membership. Data were collected via a mail survey from a randomly selected sample of undergraduate women (n = 925). In addition to several dichotomous questions, subjects were asked to describe the most sexually stressful event they had experienced since enrolling at the university. In reference to the described incident, the subjects were asked: a) whether or not alcohol use occurred; b) if the man was a member of a fraternity; and c) if the man was a member of a sports team or sports club. Results indicated that sexual violence still occurs on campuses at an alarming rate. Additionally, it was found that alcohol use was associated with sexual violence and that fraternity members and members of sports teams were overrepresented among the accused. PREVENTING ACQUAINTANCE RAPE THROUGH EDUCATION What Do We Know Kimberly A. Lonsway Psychology of Women Quarterly Banner First published: June 1996 Abstract Emerging information that rape primarily occurs between acquaintances has not only exploded our understanding of this problem, but forced a reexamination of our notions of prevention. In recent years, the vast majority of rape prevention programs have taken the format of educational workshops, with the underlying assumption that change in rape‐supportive ideologies will decrease the actual incidence of sexual aggression. This article critically reviews such rape prevention education with particular focus on common techniques such as: “debunking” rape mythology, generating participant interaction, providing sexuality education and a feminist orientation, and avoiding confrontational approaches. Finally, theoretical and practical concerns are discussed regarding previous experiences of sexual victimization or perpetration, the conceptualization and use of outcome measures, issues of program facilitation, and processes underlying change in rape‐supportive ideologies. It is concluded that future research must seriously address these many issues through thoughtful conceptualization and rigorous experimentation, so that the promise of rape prevention can be fully realized. Acquaintance rape is real rape. Frazier, Patricia A. Seales, Lisa M. Citation Frazier, P. A., & Seales, L. M. (1997). Acquaintance rape is real rape. In M. D. Schwartz (Ed.), Researching sexual violence against women: Methodological and personal perspectives (pp. 54-64). Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483327907.n4 Abstract According to several critics, many experiences that are being called acquaintance rape by feminist researchers are not actually rape, and these exaggerated figures are being used to support a feminist political agenda. These concerns are based partly on the findings that many women identified as victims do not define themselves as such and continue to have sexual relations with their alleged assailants. In this study, the authors examined what kinds of data might be relevant to assessing whether acquaintance rape is a real problem. Two studies were conducted using different measures and populations to examine this issue. The Ss in the 1st study were 70 self-identified female rape victims seen by the staff of a hospital-based rape crisis program; Ss in the 2nd study were 58 female college students identified as rape victims via their Sexual Experiences Survey responses. Both studies compared victims of acquaintance and stranger rape in terms of postrape symptoms and selfblame. Results of both studies suggest that victims of acquaintance rape are as traumatized as victims of stranger rape. Specifically, they report equal (and high) levels of depression, anxiety, hostility, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, suggesting that acquaintance rape is a real and serious problem and not merely the fabrication of feminist researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) Perceptions of stranger and acquaintance rape: The role of benevolent and hostile sexism in victim blame and rape proclivity. Export EXPORT Add To My ListEmailPrint© Request PermissionsShare Journal Article Database: PsycARTICLES Abrams, Dominic Viki, G. Tendayi Masser, Barbara Bohner, Gerd Citation Abrams, D., Viki, G. T., Masser, B., & Bohner, G. (2003). Perceptions of stranger and acquaintance rape: The role of benevolent and hostile sexism in victim blame and rape proclivity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 111-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.111 Abstract In Studies 1 and 2, after reading an acquaintance-rape but not a stranger-rape scenario, higher benevolent sexist but not hostile sexist participants blamed the victim significantly more. In Study 2, higher hostile sexist but not benevolent sexist male participants showed significantly greater proclivity to commit acquaintance (but not stranger) rape. Studies 3 and 4 supported the hypothesis that the effects of benevolent sexism and hostile sexism are mediated by different perceptions of the victim, as behaving inappropriately and as really wanting sex with the rapist. These findings show that benevolent sexism and hostile sexism underpin different assumptions about women that generate sexist reactions toward rape victims. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Editors Shinobu Kitayama, Kerry Kawakami, and M. Lynne Cooper Journal TOC Purchase PDF Acquaintance Rape and Alcohol Consumption on College Campuses: How Are They Linked? Antonia Abbey PhD Pages 165-169 | Published online: 09 Jul 2010 Download citation https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1991.9936229 Select Language ▼ Translator disclaimer Abstract This article explores the links between acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption among college students. Both heavy drinking and acquaintance rape are serious problems on college campuses, and they frequently co-occur. Seven explanations for the relationship between alcohol consumption and acquaintance rape are provided: three of these explanations focus on alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and four focus on alcohol consumption by the victim. The need to conduct studies and develop prevention programs that address these issues is discussed. Index Terms: acquaintance rape, alcohol, prevention
