The findings resulted from questionnaires from 72 women who had been rape victims an average of eight years prior to the study. The questionnaires covered the following areas: coping strategies, demographics, assault characteristics, postrape behaviors, and current level of functioning. Thirty-five percent of the respondents had a prior history of sexual assault as children or adults; they had higher levels of overall stress symptoms than those who did not report a history of sexual assault. The study found that women who reported their rapes to police had a better postrape adjustment, as did those who sought postrape counseling. When the women were tested to measure the degree and type of their coping behavior, it was found that neither approach nor avoidance was positively associated with recovery. The study points out that the trauma of rape is difficult to resolve and assimilate, making it necessary for researchers to continue longitudinal studies of rape victims' attempts to cope with rape trauma. 10 references. (Author abstract modified)