THE SURVEY FOUND THAT 44 OF THE SUBJECTS HAD BEEN VICTIMS OF INDECENT EXPOSURE, AND THAT ONE-THIRD OF THESE HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED ON TWO OR MORE OCCASIONS. (EPISODES OCCURRING IN THE COURSE OF THE SUBJECTS' PROFESSIONAL NURSING DUTIES WERE EXCLUDED.) ONE-THIRD OF ALL INCIDENTS HAD NOT BEEN DISCLOSED TO ANYONE. IN OVER ONE-FIFTH OF THE EPISODES, THE REACTION OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN WHOM THE VICTIM CONFIDED HAD BEEN MORE DISTRESSING TO THE VICTIM THAN THE EPISODE ITSELF. FIFTY-ONE PERCENT OF ALL EPISODES OCCURRED BEFORE THE VICTIM'S 15TH BIRTHDAY. FIFTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE VICTIMS WERE ALONE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE SURVEY REVEALS THAT, ALTHOUGH A CHILD VICTIM IS MORE LIKELY TO BE FRIGHTENED AND UPSET BY THE INCIDENT THAN AN ADULT VICTIM, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE LASTS LONGER OR HAS A MORE SERIOUS PERMANENT EFFECT THAN THAT INDUCED IN ADULT VICTIMS. FOR THE MAJORITY OF VICTIMS, THE ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE MINIMAL. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN THE ATTITUDES OF VICTIMS AND NONVICTIMS WITH REGARD TO INDECENT EXPOSURE. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)