Rape completion and victim injury as a function of female resistance strategy.

Abstract

Descriptions of 95 completed rapes and 41 attempted rapes which were committed by 72 men referred to a maximum security psychiatric institution were obtained from victim and police reports. Fifty of the victims received slight injury, 15 were more seriously injured and 2 were murdered. Rapists were more likely to complete the rape when the attack was conducted in an inside location, with a weapon and not against a stranger. Victims were more likely to avoid being raped when they resisted, particularly when they screamed or yelled for help. There was no positive association between victim resistance and the probability of subsequent injury. Previous reports of resistance being related to victim injury may be because victims resist more strongly when they are being injured.