Predictors of sexual coercion in a sample of male and female college students

Abstract

Sexual violence, and sexual coercion in particular, is an understudied field, but research is beginning to show that males and females alike are perpetrators of sexual violence. Research has looked at predictors of sexual violence in males, but little research has looked at predictors of sexual violence in females. Similarly, little research has examined predictors of sexual violence in the context of dating relationships; therefore, this study examined predictors of sexual coercion in males and females within dating relationships. Using a sample of 305 male and 363 female undergraduate students’ self-report surveys, hierarchical regression analyses were utilized to test the nature of the sexual coercion predictors. Seven variables (problems with alcohol, past child abuse, anger management skills, relationship satisfaction, acceptability of violence towards wives, acceptability of violence towards husbands, and sexual coercion victimization) served as the independent variables with sexual coercion perpetration as the dependent variables in all of the regression analyses. Using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996) to assess sexual coercion perpetration, male and female students were found to exhibit a different set of significant predictor variables in the regression analyses; however, sexual coercion victimization was a significant predictor in both data. Sexual coercion victimization predicting sexual coercion perpetration in males and females suggests that sexual coercion is bilateral and part of a systemic cycle of violence. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are provided.