Male use of sexual coercion against unwilling female partners is prevalent in North American society. Several theorists, most notably feminist theorists, have argued that socialization practices with respect to traditional gender roles, as well as associated cultural attitudes, cause sexual coercive behavior. Although not always labeled in this way, these theorists posit that the "traditional sexual script" supports and condones male sexual coercion against women and that this sexual script remains the normative dating script in North American society. This article first reviews the aspects of the traditional sexual script that have been theorized to promote and maintain sexual coercion by males. It then reviews the results of a program of research the author conducted in conjunction with colleagues and former graduate students; this research tested the validity of this theory for understanding coercive sexual interactions between dating partners. The author concludes that the traditional sexual script has proven useful as a framework for understanding sexual coercion in heterosexual dating relationships; however, the author's research gives reason to question the assertion that the traditional sexual script is the normative script for dating interactions; rather, it may be one of a number of common and traditional scripts. Moreover, the research has shown that the sharp distinctions between appropriate behavior for men and women in sexual dating situations are not present. Men's and women's roles in sexual interactions overlap considerably, particularly in established relationships. The author thus concludes that the traditional sexual script as it is currently formulated needs some revision in the context of empirical findings. 46 references