Dimensions of Recovery from Rape

Abstract

To date, all research on rape recovery has focused on patterns of reduction in negative symptoms—primarily fear, anxiety, depression, and sexual dysfunction. This article reports the first systematic attempt to conceptualize and measure how women grow and change in constructive ways as a consequence of having to cope with a rape and its aftermath. Factor analysis of instruments developed for this research and completed by 113 rape victims yield six dimensions of self-concept, five dimensions of coping techniques, and three dimensions of self-ascribed change. Reliability and validity data for these factors are presented, and the results are discussed in terms of the relations among negative symptomatology, growth outcomes, and self-rating of recovery.