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.
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