Chicago Tribune - March 27, 2007
Julie Deardorff, Tribune health and fitness reporter, jdeardorff@tribune.com

Think carefully. Because the wrong response could increase the psychological effects of the crime, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago study that looked at what happens when rape victims receive a negative social reaction.

Research has shown that rape survivors commonly are blamed for the attack and can develop depression, anxiety, sexual problems and post-traumatic stress disorder. But not all women develop PTSD, and it's not known why some people get better and others get worse.

Hoping to shed light on how the social reactions from others affect differences in recovery, an issue that also affects populations such as cancer patients and AIDS victims, the researchers surveyed a diverse group of Chicago-area women who had been sexually assaulted after age 14 and told at least one person about the experience.

They found that negative reactions -- these range from questioning the survivor about her behavior prior to or during the assault, telling her to "get over it," treating her differently, minimizing the experience or overreacting -- are related to greater avoidance, self-blame and PTSD in survivors.

"We found it isn't just the survivor's construction of her own self-blame that matters," said lead researcher Sarah Ullman, a professor of criminal justice at UIC. "If we can stop negative responses from other people, that might matter even more than trying to counsel survivors and saying things like "stop blaming yourself."

Ullman and her team also found that victims of severe sexual assaults may receive more negative reactions overall when compared with victims of less severe assaults. This suggests that "people respond more negatively to victims who experience more violent assaults, or perhaps that survivors of more severe assaults tell more people, increasing the likelihood they will receive negative reactions," according to the study, published in the March issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly.

In addition to overt or implied blame, negative types of responses include:

* Criticizing what she did or how she is coping.

* Using distraction techniques by saying "get on with your life."

* Ignoring the disclosure.

* Reacting in an egocentric way, such as a parent saying to a teenager, "How could you have done this to us?"

Commenting about how the assault affects you, rather than the person it happened to, may lead a victim to feel that she has to worry about or take care of the person she is telling, Ullman said.

"Unfortunately, this is a form of victimization where negative reactions are likely," Ullman said. "People have absorbed the rape culture myths."

So what is the appropriate response? The best thing you can do is "believe the victim," said Vicky DiProva, executive director of Rape Victim Advocates in Chicago, which works with 1,300 clients a year. "Support them in their decisions."

Asking questions, such as, "What were you doing with that person?" or, "Why were you jogging alone" implies that it was the victim's fault, DiProva said, and thus should be avoided.

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To increase awareness of the problem of sexual assaults, Rape Victim Advocates is holding several events throughout April, including a silent vigil called Standing Silent Witness at noon April 27 at Federal Plaza, Dearborn and Adams Streets, in Chicago. The public is invited to walk among the silent protesters who will be wearing green shirts displaying the personal stories of victims.
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