Traumatizing factors

Understanding correlations for sexual victim traumatization

Correlating factors

1. (87%)Sexual Responsiveness - Whether the victim experienced sexual pleasure from the molestation or whether the victim asked for gifts in exchange for sex.

2. (92%)Terror - This is not physical violence rather it is the anticipation of knowing when it will happen. The victim may be traumatized by initiating the molestation to get it over with or the perpetrator may beg and beg until the victim gives in. The victim may then feel like she chose to be victimized. The perpetrator may schedule times for perpetration because it enhances his pleasure when he knows that the victim will be dreading the experience.

3. (82%)Distorted Offender I.D. - When the offender is not seen as a criminal. These are the nice offenders such as Boy Scout leaders or when the offender is a family member.

4. (92%)Under Age 12 - Onset of abuse began before age 12.

6. (96%)Footprints - Negative coping skills are developed such as not remembering that the abuse occurred. When the abuse is not remembered then there are no cognitions with the emotional or physical triggers. When the memory of the abuse is viewed as negative or the victim internalizes a negative self-image as a result of the abuse this is traumatizing. If there are no social supports or the family is dysfunctional the victim may not have emotional support available to help cope.

7. (79%)Withheld report - The victim did not tell anyone of the abuse.

8. (100%)Disastrous Response - The victim tells someone however the response to telling is negative such as the victim is blamed.

9. (85%)Trauma Bond - When the victim forms a bond with the perpetrator. This happens when the perpetrator is a significant person such as father or brother. When the perpetrator is the father, he may move away from the spouse and parentalize the victim.

Credits for this research go to Toni Cavanaugh Johnson. The percentages in the parentheses are the amount of people that are traumatised by that factor. Please note that the victims are most traumatized by being blamed for the abuse. An example of this would be the mother calling the victim names or accusing her of initiating it or accusing her of tearing the family apart by reporting it.