Disentangling the Effects of Self-Protective Behaviors on the Risk of Injury in Assaults Against Women

• NCJ Number: 196375
• Journal: Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 135-157
• Author(s): Ronet Bachman; Linda E. Saltzman; Martie P. Thompson; Dianne C. Carmody
• Date Published: June 2002
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper attempts to separate the effects of self-protective behaviors on the risk of injury in assaults against women by addressing, simultaneously, type of self-protective behavior, temporal sequencing of the behavior in relation to injury, and the victim-offender relationship.

Abstract

The data for this study were taken from the redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey for the years 1992 through 1994. The sample consists of approximately 50,000 housing units and 101,000 persons, annually, over the age of 12 years, living in the United States over a period of 2 years. A dichotomous injury variable was created for purposes of this study. Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of self-protective behavior on the probability of female assault victims sustaining injuries. Bivariate relationships were first examined between the type of self-protective behavior employed by the victim and the percent of victims that were injured. Tables include sequence of the victim's action relative to injury, coding strategy for physical resistance and non-physical resistance, percent of female assault victims that were injured by lone male offender, by victim-offender relationship and type of self-protective behavior, logistic regression coefficients for the risk of female victim being injured in a physical assault-events where the offender is an intimate, logistic regression coefficients for the risk of female victim being injured in a physical assault-events where the offender is an other relative, logistic regression coefficients for the risk of female victim being injured in a physical assault-events where the offender is an acquaintance-friend, and logistic regression coefficients for the risk of female victim being injured in a physical assault-events where the offender is a stranger. A graph of predicted probability measured by relationship and type of resistance is included. It was found that the probability of a woman being injured was lowest when she employed non-physical resistance strategies such as arguing or reasoning with the offenders, regardless of the type of offender. When intimates were involved, however, the probability of injury was increased for women who physically resisted their attackers. References