Myth Busted
"If you fight back, you'll make it worse"
"Just comply. Don't resist. You'll only make him angrier." This advice has been passed down for generations, often by well-meaning people trying to keep women safe.
But the research tells a different story. Resistance — especially early resistance — often works.
What the Data Actually Shows
- Active resistance correlates with better outcomes. Multiple studies show that women who resist — physically, verbally, or by fleeing — are more likely to avoid completed assaults than those who don't resist.
- Resistance does NOT typically increase injury. The fear that fighting back causes more violence isn't supported by data. Injuries in attacks that are resisted are generally no worse than in attacks that aren't.
- Early intervention matters most. The sooner resistance happens, the more effective it is. Attackers count on compliance and surprise.
- Verbal resistance is also resistance. Yelling, setting boundaries, attracting attention — these count. "Resistance" doesn't mean hand-to-hand combat.
- This applies across attack types. Whether it's street crime, acquaintance assault, or home invasion, resistance consistently improves outcomes.
The Verdict
Compliance isn't a safety strategy. Resistance often is.
The "don't fight back" advice was never based on evidence. It was based on fear — and it may have cost women opportunities to escape.
The Important Nuance
The Truth
You decide. In the moment. Based on what YOU assess.
- There's no universal "right" answer. Every situation is different. You assess the threat and make the call.
- Resistance doesn't mean fighting to the death. It means doing what creates an opportunity to escape — could be physical, could be verbal, could be fleeing.
- Weapons change the equation. If a weapon is present, the calculation is different. But even then, data shows resistance can be effective.
- Whatever you do or did is the right choice. Survivors survived. There's no judgment here about past decisions.
- Training builds options. The more prepared you are, the more choices you have in the moment.
The goal isn't to tell you what to do in every situation. It's to remove the false belief that compliance is always safer. It isn't.
You deserve to know the truth: resistance works. And you deserve training that gives you options.
Build Your Options
Fierana teaches verbal, physical, and tactical resistance strategies — so you have choices when it matters most.
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