Resistance to sexual aggression: Personality,attitudinal, and situational factors

This study's purpose was (i) to assess resistance to sexual aggression, from kissing/fondling to intercourse; (ii) to test the relative efficacy of three theoretical models (Victim Precipitation, Social Control, and Situational Blame) for predicting resistance to acquaintance rape. Seventy-five percent of the 206 university students reported vicitimization. Average time since victimization was 2.03 years. Sixty-eight percent of victims successfully resisted their most severe victimization attempt. Four situational factors predicted resistance: isolation of incident site, previous victim—offender relationship, previous victim—offender sexual intimacy, and clarity of victim nonconsent. Two personality variables, the California Personality Inventory scales of dominance and social presence, distinguished successful from unsuccessful resisters. Attitudinal measures were not statistically significant.