ABSTRACT
In the victimization literature, scholars have mainly focused on the primary victims or primary survivor of sexual assault, the individual who the crime was committed directly against. However, a dearth of information exists on the secondary victims, or secondary survivors, of sexual assault. These are the individuals who are the loved ones of the victim. Research indicates that there can be emotional and sexual intimacy issues within couples after a disclosure, whether it was an assault that recently occurred or the disclosure of child sexual abuse, can impact the relationship and can include problems with establishing and maintaining sexual relationships. In addition to the significant others of sexual assault victims, some research has also considered the impact of this crime on parents of victimized children. In addition to just examining family or spouses, little is known about how victimization affects the friends of a survivor.
