| HOME |
| HELP! |
| CONTACT |
| ABOUT US |
| SUPPORT the TRCC/MWAR |
| BOWLATHON |
| UPCOMING EVENTS |
| VOLUNTEERING |
| MORE READING |
Fighting Back and Stopping Rape
70% of women who fight back during an assault avoid rape.
This statistic, which we used in an education campaign a few years ago, has its' origins in a U.S. study by Pauline Bart and Patricia O'Brien in Stopping Rape: Successful Survival Strategies (1985). This research has been supported by numerous studies. The most recent of these studies, by Sarah Ullman and Raymond Knight, 'The Efficacy of Women's Resistance Strategies in Rape Situations' (1993) found that women who fought back were more likely to avoid rape than women who did not fight back, regardless of the presence of a weapon. In general, the studies found that strategies such as crying, pleading or reasoning were ineffective. Some studies even indicate that these strategies can cause increased chance of injury.
Here are some more studies.
Here are some myths and facts about fighting back.
More Studies
McDermott, Joan (1979); Rape Victimization in twenty-six American cities, New York: U.S. Department of Justice, Law enforcement Assistance Division- 4/5 rape attempts were not completed when the intended victim attempted to protect herself in some way. Of the women who did not use self-protective measures, 2/3 were raped.
Kleck & Sales (1990); 'Rape and Resistance', Social Problems 37 149-162
- this was a study of the American National Crime Survey data from 1979-1985. They found that victims who resisted the attaché with a weapon, physical force or other methods like screaming of yelling were significantly less likely to have the rape completed that those victims who didn't resist.
Bart & O'Brien (1984) Stopping Rape
- They interviewed 94 women and found that women who had avoided rape were most successful when they attempted to defend themselves using both verbal and physical strategies. Basically, the more strategies a woman used the more likey she was to avoid a rape. They also found that crying/pleading/reasoning (the strategy most often recommended by police) was rarely effective on it's own.
Bart (1981) 'A Study of Women who were both raped and avoided rape'; Journal of Social Issues 37 123-137
Queen's Bench Foundation (1976) Rape: Prevention and Resistance; San Francisco:Queen's Bench Foundation
- They found that women who avoided rape were more likely to have used more kinds of physical and verbal strategies and resisted more forcefully than those who were raped.
Sanders, William (1980); Rape and Women's Identity; Beverly Hills: Sage Publications
- Found that any sort of resistance had some deterrent effect, and that
96.3% of the women who were raped did not resist.
Block & Skogan (1986) 'Resistance and Non-Fatal Outcomes in Stranger-to-Stranger Predatory Crime'; Violence and Victims 1 241-253
- The looked at 347 stranger to stranger attempted and completed rapes and found that resistance of any kind was associated with rape avoidance.
LevineMacCombie & Koss (1986) 'Acquaintance Rape: Effective Avoidance Strategies'; Psychology of Women Quarterly 7 301-312
- In 82 situations of attempted or completed 'date rape', they found that rape avoiders were more likely to have used strategies such as screaming or running away; however, physical resistance didn't differentiate avoiders from rape victims.
Myths about fighting back
It's our belief that we accurate information, women will make better choices for themselves. Not every solution or choice will appeal or apply for every women. We don't have a 'do this' and 'don't do that' list. We have some information and our experience of over 30 years. We know that most women have been warned and told what to do or not do, where to go or not go, how to act or not act, to avoid rapists; since we were little girls. Unfortunately, what most of us were told wasn't true. Many of us have based our behaviours on that faulty information.It is never our fault when we are raped. And if some change in behaviour can make us safer, we need to share this information.
Answer: Women with self-defense skills have more options in the face of an assault. Learning to defend and protect yourself does not mean that women will put yourself at risk or in situations in which you are uncomfortable. For example: having fire drills and being familiar with fire safety doesn't make you more likely to have a fire or be injured in one.
Myth: It's best to focus our energies on changing women's behaviours; putting more money into walk safe programmes, imposing curfews and informing women which clothing not to wear.
Answer: Women aren't chosen by rapist because of their clothing. This myth keeps women thinking about how they are dressed instead of how safe they are; in any given situation. Imposing curfews, implies that women are at most risk at night, which is not true and while walk safe programmes can be a great option for women, they rely on the myth that most rapists are strangers to the women they rape and that most rapes occur outside. In fact, only 10-20% of women are assaulted by strangers. The most frequent place women are assaulted is in their own homes (where a walk safe programme will not be in effect).
Myth: Women will be hurt if they fight back.
Answer: Being raped is being hurt. It is an injury. Furthermore, some research has found that only 3% of rapes involved injuries beyond the sexual attack.
Myth: Women shouldn't resist during an attack. Women should never resist if the attacker has a weapon.
Answer: Recent research has found that women who fought back were more likely to avoid/stop a rape that those who did not. The presence of a weapon had no effect on this outcome. (See Ullman and Knight)
Myth: Aren't you teaching women to be violent? How does this improve the situation?
Answer: No, we aren't teaching women to be violent. We're encouraging women to be better protected against rapists. Sometimes, that means learning many different forms of self defense, including physical self defense. Have few women be raped does 'improve' the situation.
Myth: Isn't gaining a rapist's sympathy, by begging or pleading, the most effective way to avoid being raped?
Answer: No. Begging and/or pleading with a rapist are some of the least effective strategies for stopping a rape.
Myth: Women can't win fights with men.
Answer: Self defense is not about winning a fight, it's about getting away. By changing the way women feel and think about their bodies; women can begin to see themselves as capable and confident of getting away when necessary.
Myth: I didn't fight back, so, is it my fault I was raped?
Answer: No. It's never a women's fault if she's raped. Resisting an attacker is only one of many options for a woman. Fighting back happens in many different ways, and sometimes after an assault. Some women see reporting an attack to the police as fighting back.
Myth: Are you putting women at risk by suggesting that they can defend themselves? Will women be more likely to take bigger risks with their safety?
Want to Hide your tracks?
If, for reasons of privacy, security, or for any other reason, you want to 'hide your tracks' - make it harder for other people using the same computer to know what websites you've visted, we can suggest a few steps.- top -