Coping with unwanted sexual activity: Normative responses, situational determinants, and individual differences

Abstract

It has been proposed that a traditional feminine gender role can influence how effectively a woman deals with unwanted sexual experiences. For example, passivity and nurturance might prohibit effective coping with unwanted sexual activity by leading a woman to blame herself and to continue in an adversarial sexual relationship. Thus, the present investigation was designed to examine women's responses and reactions to unwanted sexual episodes, including both normative and individual coping strategies. Situational, general coping, and individual difference variables were also examined. The results indicated that most episodes of unwanted sex involved a couple who knew each other at least moderately well. It was also determined that situational variables were the best predictors of women's reactions to unwanted sexual attempts. Generally, women responded passively to such attempts and responded to attack with self‐blame and continuance of adversarial dating relationships. The implications of these findings for communication, education, and sexual relationships were discussed.