Epidemiology of injuries among women after physical assaults: The role of self-protective behaviors

Physical assaults against women result in more than 5,000 deaths and 1 mill ion nonfatal injuries per year in the United States. Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-1995, were used to test the association b etween injury risk and self-protective behaviors, while controlling for vic tim, offender, and crime-related characteristics. Unlike in prior studies, a self-protective behavior measure that accounted for the temporal sequenci ng of the occurrence of injuries and self-protective behaviors was used. Th e study also examined whether the effect of self-protective behaviors varie d as a function of victim-offender relationship status. The sample included 3,206 incidents in which females were physically assaulted by a lone male offender within the previous 6 months. Multivariate results revealed that w omen who used self-protective measures were less likely to be injured than were women who did not use self-protective measures or who did so only afte r being injured. The effect of self-protective behaviors on risk of injury did not vary as a function of the victim-offender relationship. The inverse association found between self-protective behaviors and injury risk differ s from those of previous studies. Owing to inconsistent findings across stu dies, caution should be used when making recommendations to women regarding whether or not they should use self-protective behaviors during a physical assault.