Factors Predicting the Type of Tactics Used to Resist Sexual Assault: A Prospective Study of College Women

The purpose of the current study was to examine how women's intentions, as well as psychological and situational factors, predicted the actual use of resistance tactics in response to a sexual assault situation over a 2-month follow-up period. Twenty-eight percent of the 378 undergraduate women...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 2007-08, Vol.75 (4), p.605-614
Main Authors: Turchik, Jessica A, Probst, Danielle R, Chau, Minna, Nigoff, Amy, Gidycz, Christine A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aggression
At Risk Persons
Biological and medical sciences
Child Abuse
College Students
Context Effect
Fear
Female
Females
Human
Human Females
Humans
Intention
Interpersonal Relationship
Medical sciences
Predictor Variables
Prospective Studies
Psychological aspects
Psychological Patterns
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Rape
Resistance (Psychology)
Resistance skills
Risk Factors
Risk reduction
Self Esteem
Sexual Abuse
Sexual assault
Situational factors
Social Behavior
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Universities
Verbal Communication
Victimization
Victimology
Victims of Crime
Violence
Women
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Summary:The purpose of the current study was to examine how women's intentions, as well as psychological and situational factors, predicted the actual use of resistance tactics in response to a sexual assault situation over a 2-month follow-up period. Twenty-eight percent of the 378 undergraduate women who participated at the baseline assessment and returned for the follow-up session 8 weeks later were victimized over the interim period. The results suggested that women's reported use of verbally assertive tactics was predicted by the intention to use verbally assertive tactics, concern about injury, greater confidence, and feelings of being isolated or controlled by the perpetrator. The use of physically assertive tactics was predicted by increased severity of the attack, greater confidence, and feelings of being isolated or controlled by the perpetrator. The use of nonforceful tactics was predicted by intentions to use nonforceful tactics, increased self-consciousness, knowing the perpetrator prior to the assault, fears of losing the relationship with the perpetrator, and no history of childhood sexual victimization. These findings have important implications in sexual assault risk-reduction programming.
ISSN:0022-006X
1939-2117
DOI:10.1037/0022-006X.75.4.605