Personality variables and circumstances of sexual assault predictive of a woman's resistance

The present study investigated degree of resistance to sexual assault as a function of personality variables and circumstances of assault. Death anxiety was the personality variable most predictive of high resistance. The profile of the high-resistant women showed that the absence of a weapon, lower death anxiety, and knowing the assailant accounted for 66% of the variance. It was inferred that the life-threatening aspects of the rape situation are of great importance in determining a potential victim's reaction.