NCJ Number
100014
Date Published
1985
Length
208 pages
Annotation
To determine factors and strategies that contribute to successful rape avoidance, interviews were conducted with 43 women who avoided rape during an attack and 51 women who were raped.
Abstract
The sample was constructed from responses to media recruitments (newspapers, press releases, public service announcements, and radio/TV) and from contacts of the project staff. Results indicate that a number of demographic, socialization, situational, and victim-response factors were associated with the outcome of the attack. Compared to raped women, rape-avoiders were more likely to be the eldest daughter, taller and heavier, and never married. They played sports in childhood, and held nontraditional views of their future roles. Situational factors positively associated with rape included nighttime, the use of force, no observers, first-floor residence, and inside attack site. Of five active resistance strategies examined, talking was most frequently used, fleeing was most successful, and pleading was least successful. In general, these women all used a combination of strategies in responding to attack. The most frequently used combination of strategies among avoiders was screaming and physical resistance. Avoiders most frequently used three strategies, while rape victims used only one strategy. Fear of rape and determination not to be raped were the avoiders' main concerns, while fear of death/multilation was the victims' chief concern. Avoiders also appeared able to perceive danger from ambiguous clues earlier in the scenario than did women who were raped. Results suggest that the traditional advice that women should not resist a rape attempt may be misguided. Appendixes include case profiles, an interview transcript, and other research materials. Approximately 110 references.