Adult rape scripting within a victimological perspective

This review of the adult rape experience draws from theoretical conceptuali zations in both psychology and victimology. It is an integrative discussion of Lemer's [Lerner, M.J. (1980). The Belief in A Just World. New York: Ple num] victimological theory of the "just world" and Gagnon and Simon's [Gagn on, J.H., & Simon, W. (1973). Sexual Conduct: The Sources of Human Sexualit y. Chicago: Aldine] conceptualization of cognitive sex scripting. The "just world" is one in which an individual gets what he/she deserves. People wil l construe events and interpret the character of people to maintain this id eology. As theorized by Perloff [Perloff, L.S. (1983). Perceptions of vulne rability to victimization. J Soc Issues 39, 41-61], this promotes a feeling of "unique invulnerability" in the absence of victimization. However, shou ld victimization, such as rape, occur, this ideology can implicate detrimen tal effects of adjustment. This includes the "secondary victimization" from others, as theorized by Williams [Williams, J.E. (1984). Secondary victimi zation: confronting public attitudes about rape. Victimol Int J 9, 66-81]. These victimological perspectives are cognitive scripts. They develop over time from exposure to family dynamics, sociocultural tenets describing gend er roles and sexual conduct, and from an individual's parameters and dimens ions of sexual individuality and disposition. How these victimological scri pts may impact on the adjustment of adult raped men and women is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.