The perception of relationship violence in the lyrics of a song

This article uses O methodology, respondent questionnaires, and qualitative interviews to examine the relationship between the experience of victimiza tion and how respondents interpret musical lyrics. Two factors representing different perspectives on the song, "I May Know the Word," were identified in a prior e study. Factor A interpreted the song as a literal representat ion of rape, battering, and sexual assault; Factor B viewed it as a more ab stract conflict over decision making. Data from the current study show a si gnificant correlation between Factor A and the number of specific abuse beh aviors individuals had experienced However, although individuals subjected to multiple types of abuse were more likely to interpret the song in a lite ral manner they did not necessarily name their experiences as rape or viole nce. The literature on the effects of traumatic experience is explored to e xplain this apparent contradiction.