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Correlates of College Women's Self-Reports of Heterosexual Aggression

NCJ Number
167675
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1996) Pages: 121-131
Author(s)
P B Anderson
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article reports the findings of a study to identify predictors of respondents¦ sexually aggressive behaviors toward men.
Abstract
For the study under review, 212 women attending sexuality classes in the New York/New Jersey area volunteered anonymously to complete a questionnaire that measured demographics, sexual attitudes and sexual behaviors. The instrument was designed to identify predictors of the respondents' sexually aggressive behaviors toward men. Sexual aggression was defined as initiating sexual contact by using sexual coercion (e.g.,threatening to end a relationship, verbal pressure, or lying), sexual abuse (e.g., sex with a minor by an adult at least 5 years older than the minor, by inducing intoxication, or by using a position of power or authority), or physically forced sex (i.e., by the threat of physical force, actual physical force, or the use of a weapon). Findings disclosed that both the experience of past sexual abuse and the attitudinal subscale of adversarial beliefs about sexual relationships were independently related to women¦s heterosexual aggression. The article discusses the contributions of adversarial beliefs and past sexual abuse to heterosexual aggression in relation to the social construction of gender and two specific aspects of social learning theory. Tables, references