Male sexual coercion is defined as a class of inappropriate male behaviors in which nonphysical tactics are used to obtain sexual contact with an unwilling adult female. The primary purpose of this article is to improve the current conceptual and etiological understanding of male coercion. Male coercion is contrasted with sexual aggression (i.e., forcible rape). In the conceptual model, sexually coercive and aggressive acts are likely to be performed by different types of individuals who can be differentiated by characteristics specific to one form of misconduct or the other. According to this conceptualization, involvement in one type of sexual misconduct, such as coercion, would be unlikely to lead to the perpetration of more overtly aggressive offenses. However, very little is currently known about the nature of the relationship between sexually coercive acts and those involving more blatant physical aggression. Potential predictors and etiological factors associated with sexual coercion fall into four categories: attitudinal or belief systems, behavioral tendencies, personality characteristics, and childhood abuse experiences. References