Background
Methods
Sample and procedure
Measures
Data analysis
Results
Sample characteristics
Variable | Total sample (N = 207) | Not sexually assaulted (n = 150,72.5%) | Sexually assaulted (n = 57, 27.5%) | P-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | SD | M (SD) | M (SD) | ||
Age (range 18–49) | 26.8 | 9.3 | 25.9 (9.2) | 29.1 (9.4) | 0.019 |
Number of children (range 0–4) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 (1.0) | 1.4 (1.0) | 0.005 |
Formal education | |||||
Primary or less | 54 | 26.2 | 35 (23.3) | 19 (33.9) | 0.253 |
Secondary | 109 | 52.9 | 84 (56.0) | 25 (44.6) | |
Post secondary | 43 | 20.9 | 31 (20.7) | 12 (21.4) | |
Recruitment | |||||
General out-patient clinic | 69 | 33.3 | 41 (59.4) | 28 (40.6) | 0.003 |
Antenatal care clinic | 138 | 66.7 | 109 (79.0) | 29 (21.0) | |
Currently employed | 89 | 51.1 | 64 (49.6) | 25 (55.6) | 0.492 |
Economic household situation | |||||
Low | 75 | 36.8 | 55 (37.2) | 20 (35.7) | 0.848 |
High | 129 | 63.2 | 93 (62.8) | 36 (64.3) | |
Marital status | |||||
Married/cohabitating | 180 | 87.0 | 133 (88.7) | 47 (82.5) | 0.236 |
Single/divorced/separated | 27 | 13.0 | 17 (11.3) | 10 (17.5) | |
Currently living with perpetrator | 168 | 84.4 | 126 (85.7) | 42 (80.8) | 0.398 |
Left partner in the past 12 months | 18 | 8.7 | 11 (7.3) | 7 (12.3) | 0.275 |
Other types of intimate partner violence | |||||
Psychological abuse | |||||
Low (0–2) | 76 | 36.7 | 64 (84.2) | 12 (15.8) | < 0.001 |
Medium (3–6) | 64 | 30.9 | 54 (84.4) | 10 (15.6) | |
High (7 or more) | 67 | 32.4 | 32 (47.8) | 35 (52.2) | |
Physical violence | |||||
Low (0–1) | 86 | 41.7 | 73 (84.9) | 13 (15.1) | < 0.001 |
Medium (2–6) | 53 | 25.7 | 40 (75.5) | 13 (24.3) | |
High (7 or more) | 67 | 32.5 | 37 (55.2) | 30 (44.8) | |
Danger | |||||
Low (0–1) | 112 | 54.1 | 95 (63.3) | 17 (29.8) | < 0.001 |
Medium (2–3) | 36 | 17.4 | 26 (17.3) | 10 (17.5) | |
High (4 or more) | 59 | 28.5 | 29 (19.3) | 30 (52.6) | |
Suicidal behaviour and alcohol use | |||||
Suicidal behaviour (threat or attempt) in the past 12 months | 36 | 17.6 | 16 (10.8) | 20 (35.7) | < 0.001 |
Types and frequency of sexual assault
Sexual assault | Once or more | Once | 2–3 times | 4 or more times |
---|---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |
1. Demanded sex whether you wanted to or not? | 50 (87.7) | 17 (29.8) | 14 (24.6) | 19 (14.0) |
2. Made you have oral sex against your will? | 18 (31.6) | 4 (7.0) | 8 (14.0) | 6 (10.5) |
3. Made you have sexual intercourse against your will? | 33 (57.9) | 9 (15.8) | 12 (21.1) | 12 (21.1) |
4. Physically forced you to have sex? | 24 (42.1) | 7 (12.3) | 6 (10.5) | 11 (19.3) |
5. Made you have anal sex against your will? | 17 (29.7) | 7 (12.3) | 6 (10.5) | 4 (7.0) |
6. Used an object on you in a sexual way? | 6 (10.5) | 3 (5.3) | 3 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) |
Sexual assault and danger
By sexual abuse group | Not sexually assaulted (N = 150) | Sexually assaulted (N = 57) | Relative Risk Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | ||
1. Has the physical violence increased in severity or frequency in the past 12 months? | 29 (19.3) | 25 (43.9) | 1.47 (1.14–1.91)* |
2. Does he own a gun? | 13 (8.7) | 5 (8.8) | 1.00 (0.74–1.35) |
3. Has he ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a lethal weapon 12 months? | 10 (6.7) | 15 (26.3) | 1.92 (1.18–3.13)* |
4. Does he threaten to kill you? | 36 (24.0) | 26 (45.6) | 1.35 (1.08–1.70)* |
5. Has he avoided being arrested for domestic violence in the past 12 months? | 8 (5.3) | 7 (12.3) | 1.38 (0.86–2.24) |
6. Does he ever try to choke you? | 20 (13.3) | 17 (29.8) | 1.42 (1.04–1.93)* |
7. Does he use illegal drugs in the past 12 months? By drugs, I mean “marihuana” or street drugs such as amphetamines (‘ya-baa’), ecstasy (‘ya E’), cocaine, “crack” | 13 (8.7) | 11 (19.3) | 1.38 (0.95–2.02) |
8. Is he an alcoholic or problem drinker? | 44 (29.3) | 18 (31.6) | 1.03 (0.85–1.24) |
9. Does he control most or all of your daily activities in the past 12 months? | 24 (16.0) | 24 (42.1) | 1.59 (1.18–2.13)* |
10. Is he violently and constantly jealous of you? | 41 (27.3) | 29 (50.9) | 1.26 (1.10–1.68)* |
11. Have you ever been beaten by him while you were pregnant in the past 12 months? | 28 (18.7) | 19 (33.3) | 1.28 (1.00–1.65)* |
12. Has he ever threatened or tried to commit suicide in the past 12 months? | 9 (6.0) | 4 (7.0) | 1.05 (0.72–1.52) |
13. Does he threaten to harm your children? | 9 (6.0) | 7 (12.3) | 1.31 (0.85–2.04) |
14. Does he follow or spy on you, leaves threatening notes or messages, destroys your property, or calls you when you don’t want him to? | 36 (24.0) | 30 (52.6) | 1.48 (1.17–1.87)* |
Danger scale, M (SD) | 2.1 (3.1) | 4.2 (3.6) | 1P < 0.001 |
Logistic regression analyses of sexual assault
Variable | UOR (95% CI) | P-value | AOR (95% CI)a,b | P-value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Demographics and partner characteristics | ||||
Age in years | 1.04 (1.00–1.07) | 0.033 | – | |
Formal education | ||||
Primary or less | 1 (Reference) | – | ||
Secondary | 0.55 (0.27–1.12) | 0.099 | ||
Post secondary | 0.71 (0.30–1.70) | 0.446 | ||
Recruitment | ||||
Antenatal care clinic | 1 (Reference) | 1 (Reference) | ||
General out-patient clinic | 2.57 (1.37–5.83) | 0.003 | 1.46 (0.57–3.75) | 0.431 |
Number of children | 1.57 (1.14–2.15) | 0.006 | 1.31 (0.79–2.19) | 0.294 |
Currently employed | 1.27 (0.64–2.51) | 0.493 | – | |
Economic household situation | ||||
Low | 1 (Reference) | – | ||
High | 0.94 (0.50–1.78) | 0.848 | ||
Marital status | ||||
Married/cohabitating | 1 (Reference) | – | ||
Single/divorced/separated | 1.60 (0.26–1.40) | 0.239 | ||
Currently living with the perpetrator | 0.70 (0.31–1.61) | 0.400 | – | |
Left partner in the past 12 months | 1.77 (0.65–4.82) | 0.264 | – | |
Other types of intimate partner violence | ||||
Psychological abuse | ||||
Low (0–2) | 1 (Reference) | 1 (Reference) | ||
Medium (3–6) | 0.99 (0.40–2.46) | 0.979 | 0.74 (0.27–2.07) | 0.568 |
High (7 or more) | 5.83 (2.67–12.74) | < 0.001 | 3.42 (1.07–11.01) | 0.039 |
Physical violence | ||||
Low (0–1) | 1 (Reference) | 1 (Reference) | ||
Medium (2–6) | 1.83 (0.77–4.31) | 0.170 | 1.80 (0.69–4.93) | 0.233 |
High (7 or more) | 4.55 (2.13–9.75) | < 0.001 | 2.42 (0.95–6.16) | 0.064 |
Danger | ||||
Low (0–1) | 1 (Reference) | 1 (Reference) | ||
Medium (2–3) | 3.13 (1.33–7.38) | 0.009 | 1.16 (0.38–3.55) | 0.794 |
High (4 or more) | 8.49 (3.75–19.18) | < 0.001 | 2.03 (0.65–6.36) | 0.226 |
Suicidal behaviour in the past 12 months | 4.58 (2.16–9.74) | < 0.001 | 2.62 (0.94–7.31) | 0.065 |