If she is not a victim, does that mean she was not traumatized? Evaluation of predictors of PTSD symptomatology among college ra

Abstract: 

The issue of whether individuals can be traumatized by the experience of rape if they do not label the experience a victimization remains controversial. Indeed, there are conflicting findings with regard to the extent to which such unacknowledged victims experience post-traumatic symptoms. The goal of the current study was to evaluate acknowledgment status as a predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology using structural equation modeling among a sample of 346 college rape victims. Results showed that whereas acknowledged victims reported more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, acknowledgment status did not add to the prediction of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in a model including assault violence and other important predictors of these symptoms.