Resisting Unwanted Sexual and Social Advances: Perspectives of College Women and Men

Abstract

This study examines college men’s (N = 635) and women’s (N = 650) reports of women’s resistance against unwanted sexual and social advances. Men completed surveys to assess (a) initiation of unwanted sexual contact with a female partner, (b) initiation of unwanted sexual intercourse with a female partner, (c) sexual situations where a female partner decided she did not want to proceed, (d) encouraging a woman to drink when they were aware that the woman did not want to, and (e) attempting to take a woman to an isolated location against her will. Women completed corresponding questionnaires regarding the receipt of such unwanted advances, the outcome of the situation, and the resistance tactics utilized. Many men (5%-46%) and women (15%-38%) initiated or experienced, respectively, at least one of the five unwanted sexual or social advances. Unwanted sexual and social advances most often stopped as a result of women’s verbal and physical resistance. Few advances (0%-8%) stopped as a result of bystander intervention. In addition to decreasing men’s likelihood of engaging in unwanted sexual and social advances, these data highlight the importance of educating women on the effectiveness of verbal and physical resistance tactics, and increasing the frequency of prosocial bystander action on college campuses.