THERE IS CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY REGARDING THE CORRECT REACTIVE MEASURES TO USE IF A SEXUAL ASSAULT IS THREATENED. POLICE DEPARTMENTS FREQUENTLY FAVOR CONTRADICTORY TACTICS, WHETHER ACTIVE OR PASSIVE. ACTIVE OR AGGRESSIVE TACTICS ARE DESIGNED TO FIGHT OR FRIGHTEN OFF THE ASSAILANT, AND INCLUDE JUDO, KARATE, RUNNING, SCREAMING, BITING, KICKING, USE OF WEAPONS, AND BLOWING WHISTLES. PASSIVE TECHNIQUES STALL FOR TIME AND INTERRUPT THE OFFENDER'S FANTASY TRAIN OF THOUGHT WITHOUT INCREASING HIS ANGER, BY TALKING, QUESTIONING, PLEADING, CRYING, FEIGNED FAINTING, OR VOMITING. INTERVIEWS WITH SIX CONVICTED RAPISTS INDICATE THAT BOTH AGGRESSIVE AND PASSIVE TECHNIQUES WILL SOMETIMES WORK, BUT THAT CLEARLY NO TACTIC WILL WORK ALL OF THE TIME. THERE SEEM TO BE TWO MAJOR GROUPS OF RAPISTS; THE INSECURE/INADEQUATE, AND THE HOSTILE/ENRAGED. NONETHELESS, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PSYCHODYNAMICS OF THESE CRIMINALS, AND ONE DOES NOT WANT TO ESCALATE THE ATTACK FROM RAPE TO SERIOUS INJURY BY THE INJUDICIOUS CHOICE OF DEFENSE. THREE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INFLUENCE AN ATTACK -- SITUATION, VICTIM, AND ASSAILANT. THE OUTCOME MAY DEPEND ON THE SITUATION: TIME OF DAY, LOCALE, AREA, INDOOR OR OUTDOOR SETTING. THE VICTIM'S CHOICE OF TACTICS DEPENDS ON HER VALUES AND PRIORITIES, PERSONALITY, AGE, AND STRENGTH. THE ASSAILANT MAY BE A STRANGER, ACQUAINTANCE, OR RELATIVE, ARMED, ALONE OR ACCOMPANIED, PHYSICALLY ASSERTIVE OR MERELY VERBALLY THREATENING. THE ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE WHICH TACTICS WILL ALWAYS WORK BECOMES FUTILE. THE ROLE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN PLAY IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC MUST NECESSARILY TAKE A NOVEL APPROACH. 'NONDIRECTIVE COUNSELING' IS SUGGESTED IN WHICH QUESTIONS ARE ASKED RATHER THAN ANSWERED, MAKING INDIVIDUALS FORMULATE THEIR OWN APPROPRIATE SOLUTIONS BY EVALUATING THEIR OPTIONS. CERTAIN PRINCIPLES RELATING THE CHOICE OF ACTIVE OR PASSIVE DEFENSE TO THE ASSAILANT ARE OUTLINED; FOR EXAMPLE, IF A WOMAN KNOWS HER ATTACKER, SHE MAY BE ABLE TO BETTER PREDICT HIS RESPONSE. THE POLICE MUST SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC ANY DATA OR INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP WOMEN FORMULATE THEIR OWN TACTICAL PHILOSOPHY. THREE SUCH FACTS THAT SOME AUDIENCES WILL NOT WARMLY RECEIVE ARE THAT HITCHHIKERS AND SCANTY CLOTHES ARE SEEN AS ENTICEMENTS BY SOME RAPISTS AND BY SOME JURIES, SOME WOMEN SEND OUT CONFLICTING VERBAL OR NONVERBAL MESSAGES, AND THAT PASSIVE TECHNIQUES COMBINED WITH THE ABSENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURIES ARE LIKELY TO JEOPARDIZE A COURT CASE PARTICULARLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE RAPIST IS KNOWN TO THE VICTIM. TWO COURT CASES ARE CITED TO ILLUSTRATE THE VALIDITY OF THE ABOVE FACTS. IT IS NOTED THAT IN 1976, SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, INCLUDED BOYS AND YOUND MEN. (DJM)