Katz, Bonnie L.2025-07-172025-07-171987https://hdl.handle.net/2144/50742The effects of prerape victim-rapist familiarity on the victim's postrape recovery are investigated in conjunction with the effects of time elapsed since rape. Questionnaire and interview data from 87 women rape victims, ages 18-55 and from 6 months to 13 years post-rape, were analyzed for differences along the two dimensions of prerape familiarity and amount of time elapsed since the rape. Familiarity was measured in terms of relationship type (Stranger/Nonstranger, and Stranger/Acquaintance/Friend/Intimate categorizations), and in terms of two relationship components: prerape trust and closeness. Outcome variables assessed were: completeness of recovery, level of psychological distress, positive content of self-concept, and selfblame for the rape. Covariate effects controlled in the analyses were socioeconomic status and prerape psychological disturbance. As was predicted, women raped by nonstrangers, women who had trusted the rapist more, and women who had felt closer to the rapist, proved to have significantly less positive selfconcepts and to assign themselves significantly more selfblame than those raped by strangers. The expected inverse relationship between familiarity and recovery was not observed. Time since the rape was significantly associated with levels of self-blame but not with the other three outcomes, contrary to the expectation of significant main effects on all four outcome variables. Women 1 1/2 to 3 years postrape reported lower self-blame levels than women any other length of time postrape. The predicted interactions of familiarity and time were found for self-concept and recovery, but not for self-blame. More familiarity was associated with less positive self-concept and less complete recovery for women less than 3 years postrape, and with more positive selfconcept and more complete recovery for women more than 3 years postrape. Results are discussed as showing that familiarity is indeed a critical factor in recovery from rape and that the passage of time alone is not a good indicator of recovery progress. A new theory of recovery from rape is presented. Implications for research and clinical work with rape victims are discussed.en-USPsychologyThesis/Dissertation