Objective Ratings of Assault Safety as Predictors of PTSD

Abstract

Pre-trauma beliefs about the safety of the world and one's own invulnerability are thought to influence post-trauma reactions. The current study examined whether two trauma characteristics that are hypothesized to relate to perceptions of safety, assault location and assailant identity, predict the rate and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in female rape victims. It also attempted to reduce the confound of assault brutality. Results indicated that women assaulted in locations rated as safe had significantly more severe overall PTSD symptoms than women assaulted in dangerous locations. However, contrary to our prediction, women assaulted by dangerous assailants reported significantly more severe PTSD symptoms than women assaulted by assailants rated as safe. Assault brutality and violation of safety expectations may represent two distinct aspects of the assault, both influencing the severity of posttrauma reactions.