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- Title
Women's Postrape Sexual Functioning: Review and Implications for Counseling.
- Authors
Gilbert, Barbara; Cuningham, Jean
- Abstract
The authors present a literature review concerning the effects of rape on sexual functioning and suggestions for facilitating sexual recovery of rape survivors in counseling. <BR> In this article several aspects of the recent literature concerning sexual problems resulting from sexual assault of women are reviewed. First, prevalence, types, and duration of post-assault sexual problems are discussed, followed by consideration of data concerning survivors' sexual satisfaction. Finally, suggestions for counseling rape survivors on the sexual aspect of their recovery are made. The articles cited here were identified through a search of Psychological Abstracts from 1975 to 1985; virtually all the articles that specifically addressed postrape sexual functioning are reviewed. This article does not provide specific descriptions of methods of sex therapy; rather, integration of sexual recovery into more general recovery from rape is discussed. <BR> In this article we have reviewed research related to problems with sexual functioning after rape. It is that such problems are common among women who have been sexually assaulted and that these problems are not necessarily brief or easily resolved. Although many authors point out that a methodological problem in such research is that participants who volunteer to participate may represent a subgroup of survivors who are more concerned and more troubled by problems resulting from assault than are women who have been raped but do not volunteer, this issue is of little importance to counselors. Postrape counseling is most likely to take place when the survivor sees herself in need of help in dealing with the aftereffects of assault. Although such immediate psychological problems as intense fear may need to be the initial focus of counseling, full recovery cannot be said to have been achieved until the survivor is once again comfortable with her own sexual functioning. To this end, counselors must be aware of and prepared to deal...
- Subjects
RAPE victims; COUNSELING; CRIMES against women; COUNSELORS; ASSAULT &; battery; OFFENSES against the person
- Publication
Journal of Counseling & Development, 1986, Vol 65, Issue 2, p71
- ISSN
0748-9633
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/j.1556-6676.1986.tb01234.x