Feminine Gender Identification and Mother-Daughter Connectedness As Predictors and Sociocultural Buffers Against Adult Sexual Victimization in Latinas and Caucasians

A newly created measure assessing dualistic ethnic-feminine-identity of Traditional-Femininity/Marianismo and Desirability was validated, demonstrating good internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity. Surveying 56-Latina/102-Caucasian females revealed high maternal-connectedness served as a socio-cultural buffer, reducing sexual-victimization among Latinas, but not Caucasians. Latinas with Desirability- Gender-Identity and low maternal-connectedness reported greater sexual-victimization.