Citation

Edwards KM, Omondi B, Wambui RA, Darragh-Ford E, Apollo R, Devisheim HH, Langat N, Kaede B, Ntinyari W, Keller J. Violence Against Women 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/10778012231153360

PMID

36710565

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine, via testimonial data, resistance strategies used to thwart a sexual assault among slum-dwelling Kenyan adolescent girls (N  =  678) following their participation in an empowerment self-defense program (IMpower). A subset of girls from the larger trials participated. The majority (58.2%) of perpetrators were strangers; there were no differences in resistance strategies used between strangers versus known perpetrators (83.8% used verbal strategies, 33.2% used resistance strategies, 16.7% ran away, and 7.9% used distraction). Associations between resistance strategies and perpetrator tactics, number of assailants, location of the assault, and the presence of a bystander were also examined.

Language: en

Keywords

sexual violence; sexual assault; empowerment self-defense; resistance; resistance strategies