10.1177/1077801204264367ARTICLEVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN / May 2004Nurius et al. / COPI G WITH ACQUAINTANCE SEXUAL ASSAULT Women’s Situational Coping With Acquaintance Sexual Assault Applying an Appraisal-Based Model

Drawing on theories of appraisal-based coping, the present study applied structural modeling to examine relationships among personal goal orientations, primary and sec-ondary appraisals of acquaintance sexual assault, and women’s emotional and behavioral responses to it. Based on 415 college women’s reports of a sexual assault experience, the model shows both direct and indirect effects. Assertive, diplomatic, and immobilized responding were each predicted by a unique profile of appraisals and orientations; per-sonal goal orientations and primary appraisals were completely mediated by secondary appraisals. Ways that these findings can facilitate self-protective coping in an acquain-tance sexual assault situation, leading to the development of effective, well-tailored self-defense and resistance programs, are discussed