OBJECTIVE RATINGS OF ASSAULT SAFETY AS PREDICTORS OF PTSD

Pre-trauma beliefs about the safety of the world and one's own invulne rability are thought to influence post-trauma reactions. The current s tudy examined whether two trauma characteristics that are hypothesized to relate to perceptions of safety, assault location and assailant id entity, predict the rate and severity of post-traumatic stress disorde r (PTSD) in female rape victims. It also attempted to reduce the confo und of assault brutality Results indicated that women assaulted in loc ations rated as safe had significantly more severe overall PTSD sympto ms than women assaulted in dangerous locations. However; contrary to o ur prediction, women assaulted by dangerous assailants reported signif icantly more severe PTSD symptoms than women assaulted by assailants r ated as safe. Assault brutality and violation of safety expectations m ay represent two distinct aspects of the assault, both influencing the severity of post-trauma reactions.