Victim Resistance in Child Sexual Abuse: A Look Into the Efficacy of Self-Protection Strategies Based on the Offender’s Experience

Abstract

This study examines the efficacy, as experienced by offenders with their victim, of self-protection strategies used in child sexual abuse cases. It also investigates whether the efficacy of self-protection varies according to victim characteristics. The sample consists of 94 adult offenders who sexually abused a single child and who agreed to provide confidential self-report data on the efficacy of self-protection strategies used by their victim. Strategies taken into account are: (1) yelling or screaming, (2) fighting back, (3) saying no, (4) saying they didn’t want to, (5) crying, (6) telling someone else about the abuse, (7) saying they were scared, (8) demanding to be left alone, (9) saying they would tell someone, (10) saying that people are not supposed to touch their private parts, (11) trying to get away, and (12) yelling for help. Saying that they do not want to have sexual contact and saying “no” to the offender are the most effective strategies. Because they are more likely to use self-protection initially, younger girls are also more likely to prevent episodes of abuse than older girls.