People habitually generate causal explanations (i.e., attributions) for unexpected, unpleasant life events (Joseph, Yule, & Williams, 1993) and the meaning assigned to such experiences via these attributions may serve as a source of vulnerability for the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Internal attributions (i.e. self blame) have been routinely associated with greater distress levels among victims of sexual assault (e.g., Arata & Burkhart, 1996; Frazier, 1990). Janoff-Bulman (1979) theorized a distinction between two types of self-blame: behavioral and characterological. The former is theorized to encompass attributions of blame central to one's (controllable) behavior, while the latter is thought to reflect self-blame specific to one's character deficits and perceived deservingness for an event. Janoff-Bulman further proposed that behavioral self-blame would be more adaptive than characterological self blame, since the former is thought to be associated with greater perceived avoidability and controllability over future events. The purpose of the present study was to examine the adaptive value of behavioral and characterological self-blame among survivors of sexual assault. Eighty-nine sexual assault survivors recruited from undergraduate psychology courses completed measures of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptom severity, self-blame, and future avoidability. In addition, they completed writing exercises designed to elicit causal explanations for their assault. Results revealed positive associations between characterological self-blame and PTSD (r=.46, p

This work looks at the topic of victimisation and blame as a pathology for our time, and its consequences for personal responsibility.

This second edition provides a comprehensive, social ecological review of women's rape and sexual assault disclosures and how support providers can better respond to them and challenge rape culture. Women who have been raped and sexually assaulted are often retraumatized by negative social reactions from family and friends, healthcare professionals, institutions, and society at large. Sarah Ullman educates supporters on more appropriate responses that empower survivors and help them heal. Drawing on interviews with survivors and support providers, she offers powerful, provocative insights to therapists, other frontline workers assisting survivors, researchers, and students. She reviews transtheoretical research on why, how often, and to whom women disclose; the impact of social contexts on disclosures; and social reactions from informal support networks and professionals in a variety of institutional settings. New to this edition is updated research addressing social media, social phenomena like the MeToo movement, and informal supporters' experiences with survivors. While most research still focuses on White, heterosexual, and cisgender women, emerging findings on LGBTQ+ individuals, cis males, people of color, and people with disabilities are reviewed where available.

This timely handbook provides in-depth overviews of the myriad and multi-faceted issues surrounding sexual assault and its pervasiveness in today’s culture. Drawing for multiple viewpoints and experts, the book is divided into seven comprehensive sections, covering such topics as risk factors, varying theoretical frameworks, prevention and intervention, and special populations. Within these sections the authors provide historical background as well as the latest research, and offer treatment outcomes and potentials.Selected topics covered in this book include: Feminist theories of sexual assault Social and economic factors surrounding sexual violence Mental, physiological, physical, and functional health concerns of victims, including PTSD Major categories of sexual offenders Treatment of sexual assault survivors in the LGBTQ+ community Procedural processes related to sexual assault investigation and adjudication within the criminal justice system The Handbook of Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault Prevention is a vital book that will appeal to a broad spectrum of students, researchers, practitioners, and clinicians in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, community mental health, and sociology.

A result of a conference at the University of Trier, Germany, this volume mirrors its goals: * to provide an overview of recent advances in research on critical life events and the losses associated with them * to collect and stimulate new perspectives for the analysis of these events * to compare the psychology of victims experiencing stress and losses with the psychology of observers in their reactions to victims. Designed to prevent developmental psychological myths in the area of life crises, this collection questions, on an empirical basis, the adequacy of several widespread generalizations. At the same time its contributors attempt to draw paths to conceptualizations and theories in general psychology and social psychology which promise to be helpful in analyzing and interpreting phenomena in the field of life crises.