Resistance and prevention programming aimed at strengthening women’s ability to protect themselves against acquaintance sexual aggression has lacked attention to the cognitive and emotional processes women engage in when encountering such threats. Building upon current theory related to cognitive appraisal and coping processes, this study applies a theoretical model of how women evaluate and respond to sexual aggression by male acquaintances. Two hundred and two college women who had been sexually victimized by male acquaintances responded to a questionnaire that assessed their cognitive appraisals of and emotional and behavioral responses to the incident, in addition to aggression characteristics. Path analytic regression analyses examined theorized relationships among primary and secondary appraisal and emotional response variables in addition to their collective prediction of behavioral responding. The hypothesized model accounted for significant variance in behavioral responding and indicated different patterns of appraisals, emotions, and aggression characteristics predicting women’s assertive and diplomatic behavioral responses to their assaults. These findings are consistent with research and theory related to individuals’ appraisal of and coping with threatening events. Theoretical and intervention implications for resistance and prevention efforts are discussed.

Among women, college is a high risk period for sexual assault by male acquaintances. Differences in expectations held by men and women may contribute to misinterpretation of social cues and subsequent sexual aggression and may impair women's ability to respond effectively. This paper presents findings from a predominantly Caucasian sample (85.9%) of college sorority ( = 66) and fraternity ( = 34) members regarding the social context within which they interact and their expectations regarding perpetration of and response to sexual aggression. Results showed differences in men's and women's expectations and responses, and in particular highlighted how men's expectations were related to women's resistance of unwanted sex. Understanding the cognitive processes that men and women draw upon in social interactions can be useful for developing sexual aggression prevention and resistance interventions.

Women's ability to perceive risk of acquaintance sexual assault is key to decreasing its likelihood. This study examined the relationship between women's recognition of known situational risk factors and global perceived risk, prior victimization, and drinking habits. Women consistently distinguished between clear and ambiguous situational risk factors although these were not related to perceived global risk. They also manifested positivity bias, the tendency to underestimate their own risk of being assaulted relative to other women. Both prior victimization and drinking habits were related to risk judgments. This study raises important issues concerning developing effective defensive strategies for combating sexual assault.Early recognition that a social situation with a male acquaintance or intimate partner has become threatening can aid a woman in preventing a serious incident of sexual aggression. Despite substantial evidence that women are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know than by a stranger (Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987), women typically fear stranger sexual aggression more (Hickman & Muehlenhard, 1995) and prepare themselves better to fend off an aggressive incident by a stranger (Fischoff, Furby, & Morgan, 1987). This study was conducted to explore some of the cognitive processes that underlie women's perceptions of sexual aggression risk by a male acquaintance.The first goal of this study was to assess the extent to which women recognize known risk factors associated with acquaintance sexual aggression as presenting a potential threat for them personally. Judging that a social situation is dangerous is a more complex psychological task than making the same judgment about a stranger attack (Amick & Calhoun, 1987). Many risk factors for sexual assault such as alcohol consumption, a man paying for dating expenses, and being alone with a man (Harney & Muehlenhard, 1991;Mandoki & Burkhart, 1989;Muehlenhard & Linton, 1987) are also common elements of socializing. Thus, women may not view these risk factors as danger cues, but rather see them as positive or normal aspects of socializing with men.© 1999 Sage Publications, Inc. HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author ManuscriptThe second goal of this study was to examine the relationships between situationally specific and global risk perceptions. Are women's judgments of specific situational risk factors related to a global sense of being at risk? As noted by Nurius (in press), the two phenomena involve different types of cognitive assessments. Evaluating risk for a specific outcome requires focusing on the situation as well as on one's relationships, goals, and history. Within this framework, one considers what might pose a threat, how large the threat is, and how it might be countered (Smith, Haynes, Lazarus, & Pope, 1993;Weinstein, 1993). In contrast, global risk perception involves focusing on broad environmental conditions that pertain to whole groups rather than to an individual herself. On...

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