The purpose of the proposed research is to assess the impact of marital rape and battering by comparing three victimized groups (""""""""raped and battered,"""""""" """"""""battered only."""""""" and """"""""raped only"""""""") with a comparable group of non-victimized women. The design of the research is intended to: (1) assess independent and joint effects of marital rape and non-sexual battering on victims; (2) identify and explore victim reactions unique to the experience of marital rape; (3) preliminarily assess the extent to which marital rape occurs in the absence of non-sexual battering; (4) refine measures of marital rape and reactions experienced by marital rape and battering victims; (5) conceptually clarify the similarities and differences between marital rape and non-sexual battering; and (6) examine causal connections among background experiences, structural/situational experiences, victimization, and reactions. The research involves three stages: (1) an exploratory stage involving in-depth, nonschedule standardized interviews with victims of marital rape; (2) a pretesting stage involving standardized schedule interviews with the three victimized groups and a comparison group; and (3) a primary data collection stage involving standardized schedule interviews with approximately 180 women (135 victims and 35 non-victims). The study draws on the general literature on the effects of rape victimization, research on marital rape, and research on battered women. The study focuses on such mental health related reactions to victimization as drug and alcohol abuse, depression, suicide attempts, and increases in illnesses, and has long-term implications for the clinical assessment and treatment of victims of marital rape and battering.
