A THEORETICAL MODEL PREDICTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEAR RESPONSES (PHYSIOLOGICAL, COGNITIVE, AND BEHAVIORAL) FOLLOWING A RAPE IS GIVEN. EMPIRICAL DATA IN SUPPORT OF THE MODEL WERE AN ASSESSMENT OF VICTIM PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO RAPE OVER A 1-YEAR PERIOD AND A TREATMENT EFFICACY STUDY. A GROUP OF RECENT RAPE VICTIMS AND A GROUP OF COMPARISON SUBJECTS WERE TESTED ON FIVE OCCASIONS FOLLOWING RAPE FROM 6 DAYS TO 1 YEAR AFTER RAPE. ASSESSMENT MEASURES WERE FEAR, ANXIETY, MOODS, COMPLAINTS, SELF-ESTEEM AND CONCEPT. IN ADDITION, A STRUCTURED CLINICAL INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED DURING THREE OF THE ASSESSMENT SESSIONS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT VICTIMS ARE EXTREMELY ANXIOUS DURING AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING RAPE AND MAY HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY PERCEIVING AND REMEMBERING DETAILS OF THE RAPE AND REPORTING THESE DETAILS TO AUTHORITIES DURING INTERROGATION. VICTIMS OF RAPE ARE MORE FEARFUL THAN NONVICTIMS, FEARS AND RAPE RELATED, AND FEARS PERSIST; INTERACTIONS WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ALSO PRODUCE GREAT FEAR. POLICE SHOULD NOT EXPECT VICTIMS OF RAPE TO GIVE ACCURATE STATEMENTS A FEW HOURS AFTER RAPE AND SHOLD DELAY COMPLETE INTERROGATION UNTIL THE VICTIM'S ANXIETY HAS DIMINISHED. THE EXTENT TO WHICH VICTIMS ARE DISTURBED BY POTENTIAL COURT APPEARANCES IMPLIES THAT RAPE LEGISLATION SHOULD BE REFORMED AND RAPE SHIELD LAWS ENCOURAGED. SPECIAL TREATMENT OF EXTREME FEARS OF RAPE VICTIMS IS NECESSARY, AND COURT-RELATED FEAR AND ANXIETY COULD BE REDUCED BY PROPER PRETRIAL PREPARATION OF THE RAPE VICTIM. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE GIVEN. THE PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE 1978 MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY ON CRIMINOLOGY. (MJW)