Mental health articles

Conceptualization and diagnosis of sexual victimization Conceptualization and diagnosis are complicated, since individuals’ reactions, the length of the distress, and events vary widely. Th e ecological model developed by Koss and Harvey (1991) accounts for the multiple factors that impact victims’ responses. Initially applied to rape trauma, the model fi ts other forms of sexual […]

College students experience many types of sexual victimization, including rape and sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, stalking, and intimate partner violence. Th is chapter will provide a broad overview of conceptualizing and treating these problems and will also briefl y address work with perpetrators. To simplify the writing and as a refl ection […]

Gender Minorities Historically, sex-atypical individuals were derided as tomboys and sissies and usually tried hard to conform to culturally mandated notions of female/ male, femininity/masculinity. Th ose who believed they were assigned the wrong sex seldom openly articulated those assertions and simply sought refuge within lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities. As society moves toward greater […]

Sexual Minorities: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Youth Th e previous decade has witnessed an unprecedented upsurge in the willingness of students to bring lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) concerns to college counseling centers. Th is is partly attributable to the high visibility of alternative sexualities in the media (Will and Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) […]

Oral, Anal, and Penile–Vaginal Intercourse Among 18- to 21-year-olds, approximately 75% report having received or given oral sex (Mosher, Chandra, & Jones, 2005). Oft en treated casually, oral sex is increasingly embraced as a substitute for penile–vaginal intercourse that satisfi es (mostly) male sexual demands while maintaining virginity. Unfortunately, the potential for contracting an STI […]

Hooking Up and Anonymous Sex Once considered a moral transgression, especially for women, single sexual encounters with a stranger or brief acquaintance are increasingly common among college students. Th ough defi nitions vary considerably, “hooking up”typically involves two people attending a party and sharing a mutual attraction, fl irting, and advancing to unplanned kissing, petting, […]

Sexual Impetus, Abstinence, and Virginity Sexual activity may be used to individuate from parents or distinguish oneself from community or religious norms. Some young people engage in sexual behavior because they erroneously believe that their peers are behaving similarly; others do so simply out of curiosity. Many use sex for emotional regulation and may increase […]