SHIFT IN THINKING

While doing research, not only did I find the DOJ statistics, I read a number of papers, articles and web sites. I’ve scavenged the parts that were the most interesting to me and will post them over the next few weeks. These are taken directly from the source, so there are copyrights on them. The reference information and direct link to the source is located before each excerpt.

In reference to the benefits of physical resistance in the event of an attack: studies have shown that women who resist either physically or verbally (and preferably both) or flee are more likely to avoid the completion of a rape. Studies also show that women who resist with less forceful types of resistance (pleading, crying and reasoning) have a higher likelihood of suffering a completed rape. Women who resist are not likely to suffer more injuries than women who don’t resist; in fact some studies found less injuries occurred. Based on these finding perhaps myths such as “It is better to just talk your way out of an attack.” “You will be injured more if you resist.” “Just throw-up on yourself.” “Women aren’t strong enough to fight back.” should be reconsidered.



The Effects of Resistance Strategies on Rape by Janice M Zoucha-Jensen, MSW and Ann Coyne, PhD, American Journal of Public Health, November 1993, Vol. 83, No. 11.

“These findings also counter some prior research on resistance strategies, research that has resulted in inaccurate advice to women to use only non-forceful verbal resistance, or no resistance at all, if faced with a sexual assault. Those types of resistance strategies were shown in this study to be associated with being raped, not with rape avoidance, and they did not reduce the incidence of physical injury.

This analysis…did indicate that forceful verbal resistance, physical resistance, and fleeing were all associated with rape avoidance, whereas non-forceful verbal resistance and no resistance were associated with being raped. Further, women who used forceful resistance were no more likely to be injured than women who did not resist.”