Types of rape victimization

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Behavior of rape victims is an enigma associated with the following phenomena: poverty, transition, legal weaknesses, and unintegrated mental health network. The aim of the study was to investigate rape victimization in relation to anomie, stress and postwar transition-related weaknesses in B&H in the period 1996-2005; and perform a personal analysis of rape victims. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experimental group consisted of rape victims receiving psychiatric treatment: non-violent victimization (n=125). It included random female victims with mental diseases: victimization by abuse of power and unclear victimization. The control group consisted of violent victimization victims (n=125, females). This was a multicentric, longitudinal, prospective study. Intercorrelation, univariate and canonical discrimination analyses were performed. RESULTS: Rape offenders were of male gender (chi2 = 29.970) statistical significance p < 0.001), from broken families was (chi2 = 0.830), migration (chi2 = 0.064), and heredity (chi2 = 0.406). Victimization was classified as non-violent, social, unclear and violent. Non-violent victimization occurred in 19.03% (2001) to 24.46% (2004). Abuse of mental patients was recorded in 16.08% (2002) and 22.61% (2000), and abuse of power in 2.12% (2000) and 3.55% (2000), whereas unclear rape occurred in 0.88% (2004) and 1.74% (2002). We have found that patients from the primary group are significantly more anxious and depressed in total score and in individual items. CONCLUSION: Non-violent victimization was committed by persons with impaired intelligence, acute psychotic crisis, and substance abuse. Social victimization and criminally unclear rapes were of transitional character. Victimization was caused by (post) war anomy, poverty, stress and violence. It is given insufficient significance because of high prevalence and "dark number" of victims. The study emphasizes the role of psychiatry as well as weakness of the system in the deinstitutionalization.