Sexual Coercion Perpetration and Victimization: Gender Similarities and Differences in Adolescence

Abstract

Sexual coercion is a worldwide health problem that endangers the well-being of those involved. In the same line of the most recent and comprehensive studies, this study sought to investigate the extent of sexual coercion, both perpetration and victimization, among male and female adolescents. Moreover, it jointly analyzed the predictive power of different variables that have been considered as useful to design preventive programs. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study, using proportional stratified cluster sampling, was performed and 1,242 Spanish adolescents (15-19 years old) were surveyed. Results show that both genders had reported committing and suffering sexual coercion. However, perpetration was reported more often by males: no significant gender difference was found in victimization. It was also concluded that need for control and power, normative beliefs about sexual coercion, hostile sexism, negative alcohol expectancies, and sociosexual orientation were significant predictors of perpetration for both genders. Concerning victimization, need for control and power and normative beliefs were found to be significant predictors for males and females, as were negative alcohol expectancies and sexual esteem, though only for males. According to these results, both genders can be both perpetrators and victims of sexual coercion in adolescence, but not to the same extent. Moreover, preventive programs should include activities related to perpetration and victimization, taking into account the effectiveness of their components to intervene with male and female adolescents.

Sexism in Adolescent Relationships: A Systematic Review

“…Regarding links found between sexism and intimate partner violence in adolescent population, it is shown in most of the studies reviewed that both more traditional and more benevolent sexisms predict further justification of domestic violence (Garaigordobil & Aliri, 2013;Shen et al, 2012), greater acceptance of male use of physical violence against women in relationships (Lee et al, 2016;Pozo et al, 2010), and greater violence committed (Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018;Pazos et al, 2014;Reyes et al, 2016) and suffered (Anacona et al, 2017) in couples. Although the magnitude of the relationship between sexism and gender violence is small (see Anacona et al, 2017;Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018;Garaigordobil & Aliri, 2013;Lee et al, 2016;Pazos et al, 2014;Pozo et al, 2010;Reyes et al, 2016;Rodríguez-Domínguez et al, 2017;Shen et al, 2012), these data suggest that attitudes emphasizing the difference in roles between genders and the inferiority of women over men, expressed both in a more direct and subtle manner, are associated with more positive attitudes towards violence against women within the couple and the perpetration of violence against the partner among adolescents. However, the results found by Allen et al (2009), in which benevolent sexism would act as a protector of violence being suffered by women and violence committed by men, as well as the null relationship between benevolent sexism and perpetration and victimization of sexual violence or perpetration of cyber-aggression found in other studies (Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018;Rodríguez-Domínguez et al, 2017), suggest that the different effects that more traditional and more benevolent sexisms can have on variables related to intimate partner violence in adolescent should be further investigated.…”

“…benevolent sexism and the perpetration and victimization of sexual violence (Fernández-Fuertes, Carcedo, Orgaz, & Fuertes, 2018) or the perpetration of cyber-aggression (Rodríguez-Domínguez, Durán-Segura, & Martínez-Pecino, 2017). However, other studies show that both more traditional and benevolent sexism are related to a further justification of domestic violence (Garaigordobil & Aliri, 2013;Shen, Chiu, & Gao, 2012), greater acceptance of the use of physical violence against women by men in relationships (Lee, Begun, DePrince, & Chu, 2016;Pozo, Martos, & Alonso, 2010), and greater violence committed (Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018;Pazos, Oliva, & Hernando, 2014;Reyes, Foshee, Niolon, Reidy, & Hall, 2016) and suffered (Anacona, Cruz, Jiménez, & Guajardo, 2017) in couples. In addition, more traditional sexism predicts greater use of violent strategies of conflict resolution within the couple (Pradas & Perles, 2012) and the perpetration of cyber-aggression towards women by men (Rodríguez-Domínguez et al, 2017).…”

Which Tactics of Sexual Violence Predict Leaving the Relationship? The Role of Dependence towards Partner

“…Of all the tactics that can be used, "physical sexual coercion" or "aggression" appears to be the most severe. This direct and invasive type of violence consists of the threat or use of physical force to obtain or attempt to obtain sex (Bagwell-Gray et al, 2015; Fuertes et al, 2018). For its part, verbal sexual coercion is less severe than physical coercion, and includes both positive and negative verbal coercion without force.…”

“…For its part, verbal sexual coercion is less severe than physical coercion, and includes both positive and negative verbal coercion without force. When "negative verbal sexual coercion" is used, the aggressor gets to have sex by using manipulative and psychological tactics such as verbal pressure, control, manipulation (eliciting feelings of guilt, obligation, or fear of losing the relationship), and extortion (Bagwell-Gray et al, 2015;Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018;Raghavan et al, 2015;Smith et al, 2018). However, "positive verbal sexual coercion" or "coaxing" includes the use of more subtle tactics that reflect a positive emotional tone, which involves sweettalking and the use of benign and seductive tactics that reflect love and closeness (Camilleri et al, 2009;Livingston et al, 2004).…”

Effectiveness of a Prevention Program for Gender-Based Intimate Partner Violence at a Colombian Primary School

“…Before ending this section, it is important to mention that positive results of the intervention on gender stereotypes and attitudes toward violence can have a cumulative effect since previous research has shown a clear relationship between sexism and acceptance of gender-based violence (Valor-Segura et al, 2014;Fernández-Fuertes et al, 2018).…”