[quote]GSD wrote:
I don’t work in a hospital. I am a police officer. So I see a much larger pool of victims (those that report sexual assaults). The only situations I have heard of where the attacker stopped because of resistance was where the victim was perceived as a “weaker” victim or someone that the attacker believed should have been easily overpowered, such as children. Usually the attacker knew the victim, so the victim already had a fear for the attacker. Then when they encounter resistance it may surprise the attacker and cause them to hesitate or stop.
I realize I don’t encounter all causes of sexual assault because they are not all reported, but I see a lot of them. One that comes to mind is a handicapped male that used his crutch to beat a woman into submission before sexually assaulting her. So I still disagree that resistance will effectively deter a random attacker. That said, I’m not saying that a victim should just accept what is happening, but resistance may escalate the aggression of the attacker.
And for the women that I have encountered that were able to protect themselves, they were able to run to safety.
And if you want to speak of context and legitimate representation, I wouldn’t mind hearing where your source of information comes from. Mine is from reading police reports, speaking directly to victims, interviewing suspects and preparing court documents to prosecute said suspects.[/quote]
This thread has delaminated badly, but your response deserves a reply.
I mistook your reference to what you see in the hospital to mean you worked in one; being you’re a police officer, I agree, you see a larger sampling of victims and ways in which that crime can play out.
It’s worth noting that the instances in which you’ve heard of an attacker stopped are exactly the kind I described, i.e., ones where the attacker relied on passivity from the victim and was surprised.
I didn’t say that resistance will effectively deter a random attacker, I said that it many cases it can, and that ultimately individuals need to consider different scenarios, possible responses and likely outcomes, and decide for themselves what they can live with. Resistance may escalate the aggression of an attacker, it may thwart it. But I do think it’s ultimately a dubious kind of splitting hairs to fear invoking the wrath of an individual who already intends serious harm.
When possible, fleeing is ideal; absent that, fighting for your life because you may well be is a safer bet. In between the two, I think, is the most dangerous place to be – captive and submissive leaves one totally at an attacker’s mercy or lack thereof.
Certainly there are instances where immediate compliance has saved a life; there’ve been as many where it didn’t. So how does one judge? It becomes a personal choice, again, between likely scenarios and what one thinks they can live with.
It’s a terrible kind of algebra to have to do.
My sources of information come from places similar to yours, but from a career in social services, not law enforcement. I’ve read police, psychiatric (for assessment) and therapeutic (for treatment) reports on victims and perpetrators. I have personally counseled both for issues both related and unrelated to the crime. I have also taken the stand in court on behalf of rape victims.
Because it has been a part of my professional life, I’ve made a point reading various kinds of literature on the subject, from more clinical academic inquiries to the personal reportage of victims, perpetrators, and the various personnel whose professions involve dealing with the crime, to include those in law enforcement.
I don’t consider myself an expert; it is a complex, difficult and in many obvious ways painful subject – legally, psychologically, physically and morally – to try to come to a nuanced grip with, if you look at it from the many angles involved. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to the questions posed.
But there is a personal one, and I’ve stated mine.