The effect of the victim-offender relationship and pre-assault intoxication on PTSD symptom severity

College-aged women are at an increased risk for experiencing non-consensual sexual contact (i.e. sexual assault) relative to the general population. Women who endure a sexual assault are at an increased risk for developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Intoxication by drugs and/or alcohol during an assault is linked to victims experiencing less severe PTSD symptoms; however, little is known about how the victim-offender relationship relates to PTSD symptom severity. The current study sampled 125 university women on measures that assessed degree of sexual victimization and resulting PTSD symptoms. It was hypothesized that both intoxication and the victim-offender relationship would affect PTSD symptom severity; furthermore, the ANCOVA model examined a potential interaction effect: intoxication was expected to moderate symptom severity among varying categories of the victim-offender relationship. None of the three hypotheses proposed were supported; implications for the findings and directions for future research are discussed