The Roles of Body Mass Index and Jealousy in Women’s Perpetration of Sexual Coercion

Abstract

Although a substantial body of research exists on men's perpetration of sexual coercion, research on women's perpetration is limited. The authors evaluated a model of women's sexual coercion perpetration in 448 couples. Women with greater body mass indexes (BMIs) were more likely to perpetrate sexual coercion against an intimate partner. Couple weight status (women with higher BMIs than their partners) moderated the relationship between partners' BMI differences and women's jealousy. Furthermore, women's jealousy mediated the relationship between partners' BMI differences and women's sexual coercion. These findings show that BMIs impact sexual and relationship quality and suggest that the literature on men's sexual coercion perpetration may also apply to women's perpetration. Limitations, implications for couple therapy, and future research are discussed.