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Attitudinal and Situational Factors as Predictors of Self-Reported Likelihood of Sexual Assault

NCJ Number
202070
Journal
Journal of Crime & Justice Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: 2003 Pages: 71-94
Author(s)
Jeffrey A. Bouffard; M. Lyn Exum
Date Published
2003
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study integrated individual attitudinal characteristics and situational factors to determine their predictive value for the self-reported probability of committing sexual assault.
Abstract
Study participants were 89 college undergraduates, mostly working-class male students from a small university, who completed questionnaires that measured the presence of coercive sexual fantasies and sexually coercive attitudes. Participants then read a short "acquaintance-rape" scenario and reported their level of arousal and likelihood of sexual assault (acting as the male in the scenario). The study tested three hypotheses. Hypothesis one stated that trait measures of coercive fantasy use and coercion-supportive attitudes would increase self-reported likelihood of sexual aggression. Hypothesis two stated that the trait measures of coercive fantasy use and coercion-supportive attitudes would impact the situational experience of sexual arousal and perceptions of victim's pain, pleasure, and willingness to engage in sex. Hypothesis three proposed that the state-level experience of sexual arousal and perceptions of victim's pleasure and willingness, in addition to the trait measures of coercive sexual fantasy and coercive attitudes, would increase the self-reported likelihood of hypothetical sexual assault. Overall, the findings show that participants' level of sexually coercive fantasy use and coercive attitudes influenced their self-reported likelihood of sexual aggression, supporting hypothesis one. These effects were partially mediated by perceptions of the victim, as well as the participant's current state of arousal, supporting hypothesis three. Although the level of fantasy did not apparently have a direct effect on self-reported likelihood of sexual coercion controlling for attitudes, coercive fantasy use did have an indirect effect by increasing arousal to cues of sexual aggression. Overall, the results suggest three distinct components of the individual that may affect the likelihood of sexual aggression: an emotional component represented by the trait measure of arousability to coercive content; a disinhibitory component represented by the participant's current perceptions of the victim's pain; and attitudes supportive of sexual coercion. Implications of the findings for future research and the prevention of sexual aggression are discussed. 1 figure and 40 references

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