Social Anxiety as a Risk Factor of Sexual Victimization in College Women

dc.contributor.authorSchry, Amie Rebeccaen
dc.contributor.committeechairWhite, Susan W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBray, Bethany C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberAxsom, Danny K.en
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:34:36Zen
dc.date.adate2011-05-10en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:34:36Zen
dc.date.issued2011-04-19en
dc.date.rdate2011-05-10en
dc.date.sdate2011-04-29en
dc.description.abstractSexual victimization is a significant problem on college and university campuses, and it is important to evaluate risk factors for sexual victimization in order to attempt to reduce women's risk of victimization. This study investigated social interaction anxiety as a risk factor for sexual victimization. It was hypothesized that social interaction anxiety may increase risk of sexual victimization by decreasing sexual assertiveness and increasing alcohol-related problems. College women (n = 690) completed an online survey that assessed social interaction anxiety, sexual assertiveness, alcohol-related problems, and a variety of types of sexual victimization, in addition to other measures. When total effects were examined, social interaction anxiety only significantly predicted victimization by coercion. However, when indirect effects of sexual assertiveness were examined, social interaction anxiety had a significant effect on all types of sexual victimization (i.e., unwanted sexual contact, attempted coercion, coercion, attempted rape, and rape). Alcohol-related problems did not significantly account for the relationship between social interaction anxiety and sexual victimization. It is recommended that interventions designed to reduce women's risk of victimization include interventions designed to address both social interaction anxiety and sexual refusal assertiveness.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-04292011-181333en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04292011-181333/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/32038en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartSchryThesisETD.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectassertivenessen
dc.subjectsexual assaulten
dc.subjectalcohol-related problemsen
dc.subjectsocial anxietyen
dc.titleSocial Anxiety as a Risk Factor of Sexual Victimization in College Womenen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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