Citation

Livingston JA, Testa M, Vanzile-Tamsen C. Violence Against Women 2007; 13(3): 298-313.

Affiliation

Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801206297339

PMID

17322273

PMCID

PMC1950281

Abstract

Low sexual assertiveness has been proposed as a possible mechanism through which sexual revictimization occurs, yet evidence for this has been mixed. In this study, prospective path analysis was used to examine the relationship between sexual refusal assertiveness and sexual victimization over time among a community sample of women. Results provide support for a reciprocal relationship, with historical victimization predicting low sexual assertiveness and low sexual assertiveness predicting subsequent victimization. The effect of recent sexual victimization on subsequent sexual assertiveness also was replicated prospectively. These findings suggest that strengthening sexual assertiveness may help reduce vulnerability to future victimization.

Language: en