Sexual Assault Among Intimates in Houston, Texas, 2003

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The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and consequences of sexual assault within abusive intimate relationships, specific to ethnicity and immigrant status, and compare the findings to a similar group of physically abused women who had not experienced intimate partner sexual assault. Research objectives included a description of the type, extent, and temporal sequencing of sexual assault, consequences of sexual assault on women's health and their children's functioning, and treatments used by women to end the sexual assault. This study follows an earlier study on the effectiveness of protection orders that began in January 2001 at a special family violence unit of the Harris County District Attorney's office in Houston, Texas. That study was called EVALUATING A COLLABORATIVE INTERVENTION BETWEEN HEALTH CARE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, 2001-2002 (ICPSR 3542). Among the initial cohort of 150 women, 148 women were alive in January 2003 and signed informed consent for the second study. Data from the first study on effectiveness of protection orders were re-stratified to measure differences between sexually abused and not-sexually abused women. Instruments used in the re-stratified analysis included instruments from the earlier study: a Demographic Data Form, Severity of Violence against Women Scales (SAVAWS), the Stalking Victimization Survey, the Danger Assessment Scale, a Worksite Harassment survey, and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short Form (SF-12) Health Survey, as well the addition of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Global Severity Index, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSD), the Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL.). The data include responses from 35 children to the CBCL. The variables in this study also include the frequency of use and the effectiveness of social agencies used in 2002. Additional questions asked about type and frequency of decision-making and actions regarding sexual relations, condom use, and birth control. Women physically but not sexually assaulted were asked a series of questions regarding whether they had ever worried about sexual assault. A series of questions was asked regarding children being witness to physical abuse. A detailed history of perpetrator behavior at the time of the first and additional sexual assaults was obtained, as well as victim helpseeking and health problems following the sexual assault(s). There was also a series of questions regarding the health effects of forced sex on the victim.