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Incapacitated and/or Forcible Rape Experience Predicting College Women's Rape Victim Empathy.

Suzanne L Osman¹, Tieryn R Gingerich¹

¹Department of Psychology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA.

Violence Against Women

|February 29, 2024

Summary

Rape experience increases empathy, particularly for survivors of forcible rape. Incapacitated rape survivors may show less empathy due to memory recall challenges. Further research should distinguish these experiences.

Keywords:

empathy forcible incapacitated rape

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Sociology
Criminology

Background:

Rape is a prevalent issue with significant consequences for victims.
Victim empathy is recognized as a crucial factor in addressing sexual violence, aiding in prevention and support.
Understanding how different rape experiences influence empathy is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between rape victim experiences and empathy levels.
To compare empathy across different types of rape: none, incapacitated, forcible, and combined.
To explore potential differences in empathy based on the nature of the sexual assault.

Main Methods:

A sample of 658 undergraduate women participated in the study.
Participants completed the Rape Victim Empathy-During Subscale to measure empathy.
The Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization was used to assess rape experiences.

Main Results:

Rape experience was significantly associated with increased victim empathy.
Individuals with any forcible rape experience demonstrated notably higher empathy.
Victims of incapacitated rape showed relatively lower empathy compared to forcible rape survivors, possibly due to memory recall factors.

Conclusions:

Rape victimization, especially forcible rape, is linked to heightened victim empathy.
Incapacitated rape experiences may be associated with diminished empathy, potentially linked to memory impairment.
Future research should differentiate between incapacitated and forcible rape to better understand their unique impacts.