Nursing students' assessments of behaviorally self-blaming rape victims

A review of evidence relating to adaptiveness of behavioral self-blame is presented with results of a study of the reactions of senior baccalaureate nursing students (N = 144) to vignettes of rape victims who differed in terms of behavioral self-blame (present or absent), affect (positive or negative), and lapsed time since attack (1 month, 6 months, 1 year). Students' assessments of victims' adjustment varied with findings in the literature on length of time needed for recovery and the usefulness of behavioral self-blame.