Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Rape Victims

Abstract

Although rape is a relatively infrequent phenomenon and the treatment of rape victims, therefore, a relatively rare clinical problem, it deserves special consideration in a book such as this one. Because sexual assault may well be the best model currently available for an acute, unexpected life stress, issues relevant to the treatment of rape trauma may have applicability to a wide variety of other traumatic reactions. Furthermore, although rape is experienced by relatively few women, a number of reasonably well-documented descriptive reports (Bart, 1975; Burgess & Holmstrom, 1979a; Queen's Bench Foundation, 1975) have suggested that, in the untreated victim, the difficulties subsequent to a sexual assault may persist for many years and interfere with functioning in a variety of areas.