2015 Unacknowledged Rape: The Influences of Child Sexual Abuse and Personality Traits

Unacknowledged rape is the phrase used to describe how most young women who experience sexual victimization that satisfies the legal definition of rape do not label their experiences as such. In a sample of 77 young adult women, less severe histories of child sexual abuse and higher levels of dysfunctional personality traits were associated with considerably higher probabilities of unrecognized rape. Clinical ramifications and potential causes for these findings are examined in this study because of the possible psychological effects and cultural effects of unreported rape.