THIRTY-TWO VICTIMS AND TWENTY-THREE RESISTERS WERE INTERVIEWED IN THE VIOLENCE RESEARCH UNIT AT DENVER (COLO.) GENERAL HOSPITAL FROM 1973-76. THEY WERE ASKED, IN CHECKLIST FASHION, ABOUT EMOTIONS EXPERIENCED DURING THE SEX ASSAULT. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT RAPE VICTIMS FEEL DIFFERENTLY DURING THE ASSAULT THAN RAPE RESISTERS. THEY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS EMOTIONALLY IMMOBILIZED, IN GREAT STRESS, AND UNABLE TO REACT BEHAVIORALLY IN AN ORGANIZED, COHERENT FASHION. FURTHER, THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT VICTIMS ARE NOT AS SOCIALLY ADEPT AS RESISTERS AND THAT THEY ARE LESS DOMINANT AND LESS CAPABLE OF RELATING TO OTHERS IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS. EMOTIONAL REACTIONS AFTER THE ASSAULT WERE FOUND TO BE PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT FOR VICTIM AND RESISTER GROUPS. VICTIMS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DEPRESSED, FEARFUL, AND ANXIOUS. THE FINDINGS RAISE SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL MORES AS THEY ARE TAUGHT TO CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN WOMEN. THUS, EDUCATION ABOUT VICTIMOLOGY AND A SOCIAL ATTITUDE WHICH LOOKS AT VICTIMIZATION AS A RISK OF URBAN LIVING NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED IN SOCIETY. SINCE THE REPORT DRAWS FAR-REACHING CONCLUSIONS FROM SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE, EXTENSIVE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO SUBSTANTIATE THESE ASSERTIONS. CROSS-VALIDATION IS AN ESSENTIAL PRECONDITION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF REALISTIC RAPE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MJW)