Sexual Coercion Victimization and Perpetration in Heterosexual Couples: A Dyadic Investigation

Abstract

Sexual coercion (SC), or making another person engage in sexual activity despite his or her unwillingness to do so, has been shown to have negative consequences for victims, namely depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and a negative view of one's sexual self. The goals of the present study were to investigate the rate of SC victimization and perpetration, inter-partner agreement concerning its occurrence, in addition to its degree of reciprocity within a sample of 222 heterosexual couples. SC within previous romantic relationships was also examined. Results showed that less than 30% of couples agreed on the occurrence of sexual coercion within their ongoing relationship. Moreover, dyadic responses rather than individual responses provided a more accurate estimation of the frequency of SC. Over one in two couples reported experiencing some SC. More specifically, 45% of couples reported female victimization, 30% reported male victimization, and 20% reported reciprocal SC. Conversely, both men and women reported more SC victimization within previous relationships than in their current one. Findings suggest that SC is a common, pervasive problem within couples and that it is underreported by both victims and perpetrators, regardless of gender. Consequently, more systematic research, prevention and intervention efforts are warranted.

Attachment Style and Less Severe Forms of Sexual Coercion: A Systematic Review

“…Specifically, the most common forms of less severe sexual coercion include psychological manipulation and attempts at sexual arousal through insistent physical touching (Brousseau et al, 2011;Struckman-Johnson, Struckman-Johnson, & Anderson, 2003). Psychological manipulation is aimed at altering a person's cognitive or affective states and can include the making of false promises, threatening to spread unflattering rumors, threatening to end the relationship, or inciting a sense of guilt in one's partner (Brousseau et al, 2011;Struckman-Johnson et al, 2003). These psychological tactics are manipulative, in that they are intended to wear down the victim's resistance, or to deceive and trick the victim into engaging in sexual activity (Struckman-Johnson et al, 2003).…”

“…In the broadest sense, sexual coercion can be viewed as a continuum of verbal and non-verbal behavior in which an individual is either induced or forced to engage in sexual activity (Spitzberg & Rhea, 1999). As a function of this broad definition, the term sexual coercion can include explicit and illicit acts, namely, rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment (Brousseau, Bergeron, Hébert, & McDuff, 2011). The conceptualization of sexual coercion, however, includes far more than these highly explicit and criminal acts.…”

“…While these less severe forms of sexual coercion may not be explicitly criminal, and may ultimately involve consensual sexual activity, the effects of such sexual coercion are significant and can include outcomes such as post-traumatic stresssymptoms,depression,andreductionsinrelationshipquality (Arata & Burkhart, 1996;De Visser, Rissel, Richters, & Smith, 2007;Gidycz, Coble, Latham, & Layman, 1993;Katz & Myhr, 2008;Zweig, Barber, & Eccles, 1997). Moreover, the prevalence rates of these lesser forms of sexual coercion are two to four times higher than more severe forms (Brousseau et al, 2011;O'Leary & Williams, 2006;Spitzberg, 1998). According to Brousseau et al (2011) and O'Leary and Williams (2006), as many as 50 % of couples have experienced some form of sexual coercion.…”

“…Moreover, the prevalence rates of these lesser forms of sexual coercion are two to four times higher than more severe forms (Brousseau et al, 2011;O'Leary & Williams, 2006;Spitzberg, 1998). According to Brousseau et al (2011) and O'Leary and Williams (2006), as many as 50 % of couples have experienced some form of sexual coercion.…”

Attitudes of Dutch citizens towards male victims of sexual coercion by a female perpetrator

“…About 13% of men and 5% of women used alcohol as a tactic, by taking advantage of an intoxicated person or by purposely intoxicating someone in order to obtain sex; 5% of men and 3% of women used forceful tactics. A Canadian study among 222 heterosexual couples showed that 17.1% of women reported having engaged in sexually coercive behaviour in their current relationship and 20.5% reported having sexually coerced a previous partner (Brousseau, Bergeron, Hébert, & McDuff, 2011). Low agreement between the reports of both partners suggests that this perpetration of sexual coercion was underreported.…”