{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T07:07:42Z","timestamp":1789456062538,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"19-20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780012800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Interpers Violence"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Research acknowledges that survivors can unwillingly become aroused during rape, although shame and fear of judgment may prevent them from disclosing the unwanted arousal. It is unclear how survivors make sense of unwanted arousal and its impacts. The authors utilized a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach to investigate survivors\u2019 experiences of unwanted arousal during rape, including their thoughts, feelings, impact on their well-being, and process of recovery. Twelve cisgender women who reported experiencing unwanted arousal during rape were interviewed for this study. CQR data analysis revealed nine thematic domains, including impact of unwanted arousal, complex emotional reactions about the arousal, ambivalence: your body betrays you, coping with unwanted arousal, fear of disclosing the arousal, seeking\/not seeking help due to unwanted arousal, intimate partners\u2019 messages about arousal, sex education about unwanted arousal, and acceptance of the unwanted arousal. Findings indicate that unwanted arousal is a significant source of psychological distress above and beyond the rape itself, compounded by victim-blaming and self-doubt. Findings also show that inadequate sex education, fear of disclosure, and societal misconceptions about unwanted arousal contributed to challenges in recovery. Professionals are encouraged to include unwanted arousal in sex education programs, discuss unwanted arousal as a normative response to rape, and implement trauma-informed care recommendations into their daily practices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/08862605261450917","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]],"date-time":"2026-05-29T10:21:15Z","timestamp":1780050075000},"page":"7357-7383","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Qualitative Investigation of Unwanted Arousal During Rape"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"41","author":[{"given":"Nikita","family":"Ramakrishnan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Oklahoma State University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9808-4481","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julie M.","family":"Koch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Iowa, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mallory","family":"Shuler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oklahoma State University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julia M.","family":"Pavon-Rojas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Oklahoma State University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-0340-8704","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jiyoung","family":"Shin-Hwang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Iowa, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","article-title":"Caring for patients who have experienced trauma: ACOG Committee opinion, number 825","volume":"137","author":"American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, & Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women","year":"2021","unstructured":"American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, & Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. (2021). Caring for patients who have experienced trauma: ACOG Committee opinion, number 825. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 137(4), e94\u2013e99.","journal-title":"Obstetrics and Gynecology"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Artime T. M. Peterson Z. D. (2015). Feelings of wantedness and consent during nonconsensual sex: Implications for posttraumatic cognitions. Psychological Trauma: Theory Research Practice and Policy 7(6) 570\u2013577. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/tra0000047","DOI":"10.1037\/tra0000047"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Batchelder S. Safren S. A. Coleman J. N. Boroughs M. S. Thiim A. Ironson G. H. Shipherd J. C. O\u2019Clerigh C. (2021). Indirect effects from childhood sexual abuse severity to PTSD: The role of avoidance coping. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 36(9\u201310) NP5476\u2013NP5495. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0886260518801030","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260518801030"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brem M. J. Shorey R. C. Anderson S. Stuart G. L. (2018). Does experiential avoidance explain the relationships between shame PTSD symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviour among women in substance use treatment? Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 25(5) 692\u2013700. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/cpp.2300","DOI":"10.1002\/cpp.2300"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_1","volume-title":"Female sexual arousal during rape: Implications on seeking treatment, blame, and the emotional experience","author":"Bunderson K.","year":"2020","unstructured":"Bunderson K. (2020). Female sexual arousal during rape: Implications on seeking treatment, blame, and the emotional experience [Doctoral dissertation, Alliant International University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chang E. C. Lian X. Yu T. Qu J. Zhang B. Jia W. Hu Q. Li J. Wu J. Hirsch J. K. (2015). Loneliness under assault: Understanding the impact of sexual assault on the relation between loneliness and suicidal risk in college students. Personality and Individual Differences 72 155\u2013159. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.paid.2014.09.001","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2014.09.001"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_1","unstructured":"Crall P. Goodfriend W. (2016). She asked for it: Statistics and predictors of rape myth acceptance. Modern Psychological Studies 22(1) 4. https:\/\/scholar.utc.edu\/mps\/vol22\/iss1\/4"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dawtry R. J. Cozzolino P. J. Callan M. J. (2019). I blame therefore it was: Rape myth acceptance victim blaming and memory reconstruction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 45(8) 1269\u20131282. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0146167218818475","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167218818475"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"DeCou K. Kaplan S. P. Spencer J. Lynch S. M. (2019). Trauma-related shame sexual assault severity thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness among female undergraduate survivors of sexual assault. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention 40(2) 134\u2013140. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1027\/0227-5910\/a000549","DOI":"10.1027\/0227-5910\/a000549"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"DiMauro J. Renshaw K. D. (2021). Trauma-related disclosure in sexual assault survivors\u2019 intimate relationships: Associations with PTSD shame and partners\u2019 responses. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 36(3\u20134) NP1986\u2013NP2004. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0886260518756117","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260518756117"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fleurkens P. Rinck M. Van Minnen A. (2014). Implicit and explicit avoidance in sexual trauma victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology 5(1) 21359. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3402\/ejpt.v5.21359","DOI":"10.3402\/ejpt.v5.21359"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Forget A. A. Vandervoort M. Lalumi\u00e8re M. L. (2024). University students\u2019 perspectives on physiological sexual arousal in victims of sexual assault: The role of gender and rape myths. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 33(3) 340\u2013356. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3138\/cjhs-2024-00","DOI":"10.3138\/cjhs-2024-0021"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garneau-Fournier J. McBain S. Torres T. Turchik J. (2017). Sexual dysfunction problems in female college students: Sexual victimization substance use and personality factors. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 43(1) 24\u201339. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/0092623X.2015.1113595","DOI":"10.1080\/0092623X.2015.1113595"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garza A. D. Franklin C. A. (2021). The effect of rape myth endorsement on police response to sexual assault survivors. Violence Against Women 27(3\u20134) 552\u2013573. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1077801220911460","DOI":"10.1177\/1077801220911460"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Goldsmith G. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for posttraumatic stress symptoms: Building acceptance and decreasing shame. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine 19(4) 227\u2013234. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/2156587214533703","DOI":"10.1177\/2156587214533703"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G\u00f6rg N. Priebe K. B\u00f6hnke J. R. Steil R. Dyer A. S. Kleindienst N. (2017). Trauma-related emotions and radical acceptance in dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder after childhood sexual abuse. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation 4(15) 1\u201312. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s40479-017-0065-5","DOI":"10.1186\/s40479-017-0065-5"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hammond E. M. Berry M. A. Rodriguez D. N. (2011). The influence of rape myth acceptance sexual attitudes and belief in a just world on attributions of responsibility in a date rape scenario. Legal and Criminological Psychology 16(2) 242\u2013252. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1348\/135532510X499887","DOI":"10.1348\/135532510X499887"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hayes R. M. Lorenz K. Bell K. A. (2013). Victim blaming others: Rape myth acceptance and the just world belief. Feminist Criminology 8(3) 202\u2013220. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1557085113484788","DOI":"10.1177\/1557085113484788"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heard E. Walsh D. (2023). Group therapy for survivors of adult sexual assault: A scoping review. Trauma Violence & Abuse 24(2) 886\u2013898. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/15248380211043828","DOI":"10.1177\/15248380211043828"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_21_1","volume-title":"Consensual qualitative research: A practical resource for investigating social science phenomena","author":"Hill C. E.","year":"2012","unstructured":"Hill C. E. (2012). Consensual qualitative research: A practical resource for investigating social science phenomena. American Psychological Association."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hill C. E. Knox S. (2021). Essentials of consensual qualitative research. American Psychological Association. https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/doi\/10.1037\/0000215-000","DOI":"10.1037\/0000215-001"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hills P. J. Pleva M. Seib E. Cole T. (2021). Understanding how university students use perceptions of consent wantedness and pleasure in labeling rape. Archives of Sexual Behavior 50(1) 247\u2013262. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10508-020-01772-1","DOI":"10.1007\/s10508-020-01772-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hills P. J. Seib E. Pleva M. Smythe J. Gosling M.-R. Cole T. (2020). Consent wantedness and pleasure: Three dimensions affecting the perceived stress of and judgements of rape in sexual encounters. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 26(1) 171\u2013197. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/xap0000221","DOI":"10.1037\/xap0000221"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jozkowski K. N. Sanders S. Peterson Z. D. Dennis B. Reece M. (2014). Consenting to sexual activity: The development and psychometric assessment of dual measures of consent. Archives of Sexual Behavior 43(3) 437\u2013450. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10508-013-0225-7","DOI":"10.1007\/s10508-013-0225-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kimberg L. Wheeler M. (2019). Trauma and trauma-informed care. Trauma-informed healthcare approaches: A guide for primary care 25\u201356. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-030-04342-1_2","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-04342-1_2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Levin R. J. van Berlo W. (2004). Sexual arousal and orgasm in subjects who experience forced or non-consensual sexual stimulation\u2013A review. Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine 11(2) 82\u201388. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jcfm.2003.10.008","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcfm.2003.10.008"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Logan T. K. Walker R. (2018). Looking into the day-to-day process of victim safety planning. Journal of Family Violence 33(3) 197\u2013211. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10896-018-9951-x","DOI":"10.1007\/s10896-018-9951-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"McGreevy S. Boland P. (2020). Sensory-based interventions with adult and adolescent trauma survivors: An integrative review of the occupational therapy literature. Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy 48(1) 31\u201354. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/IJOT-10-2019-0014","DOI":"10.1108\/IJOT-10-2019-0014"},{"key":"#cr-split#-e_1_3_3_30_1.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Murray C. Calder\u00f3n C. Bahamondes J. (2023). Modern rape myths: Justifying victim and perpetrator blame in sexual violence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20031663"},{"key":"#cr-split#-e_1_3_3_30_1.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"(3) 1663. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20031663","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20031663"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_31_1","unstructured":"National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2026 January 22). CDC releases new sexual violence data \u2013 National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). https:\/\/www.nsvrc.org\/blog_post\/cdc-releases-new-sexual-violence-data\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rollero C. Tartaglia S. (2019). The effect of sexism and rape myths on victim blame. Sexuality & Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 23(1) 209\u2013219. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12119-018-9549-8","DOI":"10.1007\/s12119-018-9549-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Russell L. H. Bardeen J. R. Clayson K. A. Dolan S. L. Fergus T. A. (2020). The closed response style and posttraumatic stress: Examining the interaction between experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion among women experiencing sexual trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory Research Practice and Policy 12(6) 627. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/tra0000580","DOI":"10.1037\/tra0000580"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schmitt S. Robjant K. Elbert T. Koebach A. (2020). To add insult to injury: Stigmatization reinforces the trauma of rape survivors-Findings from the DR Congo. SSM-Population Health 13 Article 100719. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ssmph.2020.100719","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmph.2020.100719"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schwartze D. Barkowski S. Strauss B. Knaevelsrud C. Rosendahl J. (2019). Efficacy of group psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychotherapy Research 29(4) 415\u2013431. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10503307.2017.1405168","DOI":"10.1080\/10503307.2017.1405168"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shin H. J. Salter M. (2022). Betrayed by my body: Survivor experiences of sexual arousal and psychological pleasure during sexual violence. Journal of Gender-Based Violence 6(3) 581\u2013595. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1332\/239868021X16430290699192","DOI":"10.1332\/239868021X16430290699192"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_37_1","unstructured":"Stop Street Harassment. (2018). The facts behind the #MeToo movement: A national study on sexual harassment and assault. https:\/\/www.nsvrc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/full-report-2018-national-study-on-sexual-harassment-and-assault.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Suschinsky K. D. Lalumi\u00e8re M. L. (2011). Prepared for anything? An investigation of female genital arousal in response to rape cues. Psychological Science 22(2) 159\u2013165. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0956797610394660","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797610394660"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tipsword J. M. Brake C. A. McCann J. Southward M. W. Badour C. L. (2022). Mental contamination PTSD symptoms and coping following sexual trauma: Results from a daily monitoring study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 86 1\u20139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.janxdis.2021.102517","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2021.102517"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ullman S. E. (2014). Correlates of posttraumatic growth in adult sexual assault victims. Traumatology 20(3) 219\u2013224. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/h0099402","DOI":"10.1037\/h0099402"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Velten J. Scholten S. Graham C. A. Adolphy D. Margraf J. (2016). Investigating female sexual concordance: Do sexual excitation and sexual inhibition moderate the agreement of genital and subjective sexual arousal in women? Archives of Sexual Behavior 45(8) 1957\u20131971. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10508-016-0774-7","DOI":"10.1007\/s10508-016-0774-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_42_1","volume-title":"The theory and practice of group psychotherapy","author":"Yalom I. D.","year":"2020","unstructured":"Yalom I. D., Leszcz M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5th ed.). Basic Books.","edition":"5"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zaleski K. L. Gundersen K. K. Baes J. Estupinian E. Vergara A. (2016). Exploring rape culture in social media forums. Computers in Human Behavior 63 922. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.chb.2016.06.036","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2016.06.036"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zinzow H. M. Littleton H. Muscari E. Sall K. (2022). Barriers to formal help-seeking following sexual violence: Review from within an ecological systems framework. Victims & Offenders 17(6) 893\u2013918. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/15564886.2021.1978023","DOI":"10.1080\/15564886.2021.1978023"}],"container-title":["Journal of Interpersonal Violence"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/08862605261450917","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/08862605261450917","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/08862605261450917","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T06:23:02Z","timestamp":1789453382000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/08862605261450917"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19-20","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/08862605261450917"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/08862605261450917","relation":{},"ISSN":["0886-2605","1552-6518"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0886-2605","type":"print"},{"value":"1552-6518","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,29]]}}}