These summaries were written by SVPEP staff and are based on original papers published within the last 2 years. The information available on this web site is provided as a public service and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Arizona Department of Health Services, or the University of Arizona. To conduct an individual search or locate older articles use the Search Summary Database which includes over 600 articles related to sexual violence.

Bergen, R. & Bukovec, P. (2006). Men and intimate partner rape: characteristics of men who sexually abuse their partner. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 1375-1384. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Among men enrolled in an abuse intervention program, more than half said they had committed at least one kind of sexual abuse against their most recent female partner.

Summary: Men enrolling in an abuse intervention program completed questionnaires (n=229) that included 17 items about sexually violent or coercive acts with their most recent female partner, ranging from emotionally coercing her to have sex against her will to physically forcing her to have sex with the perpetrator, other people, animals, or objects. Fifty-three percent of the men said they had committed at least one kind of sexual abuse. The most common act of abuse (40%) was emotionally coercing a partner to have sex when she did not want to. Fourteen percent of men used physical force at least once. Seventeen percent admitted to having sex with a partner when she was unable to consent (including while she slept).

Limitations: 65% of men in the study were court-ordered to the intervention program, and one-third were self-referred. Almost half of the men were African-American. Care should be taken when reviewing the data in the study; the authors mix reports of their results with information from other studies, which may be confusing. Terms such as “sexual assault,” “rape,” and “sexual abuse” are used interchangeably.

Topics: marital rape; perpetration

Davis, K. C., Norris, J., George, W. H., Martell, J., & Heiman, J. R. (2006). Men’s likelihood of sexual aggression: The influence of alcohol, sexual arousal, and violent pornography. Aggressive Behavior, 32, 581-589. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: Men’s sexual arousal to a hypothetical rape story predicted their self-reported likelihood of acting like the aggressor in the scenario.  

Summary: A total of 84 male social drinkers between 21-45 years old were randomly assigned to a group that received alcohol or a group that did not. Both groups were then asked to read one of two rape scenarios which differed by whether the victim experienced pleasure during the rape. Three factors related to sexual response were measured: alcohol intoxication; belief that intoxicated women were vulnerable to sexual coercion; and a victim’s positive sexual response to rape. The single factor that predicted reporting likelihood of sexual aggression was a high level of sexual arousal. Intoxication and belief in drinking women’s vulnerability were not directly linked to increased aggression, although they were related to arousal. Both sober and intoxicated men reported greater arousal when the victim’s response in the scenario was positive. If any of the factors were present without increased arousal, they were not related to increased aggression.

Limitations: Testing only two levels of intoxication (sober or drunk), self-report of arousal without physiological measures, and lack of measurement of men’s actual aggressive behavior. The study did not look at how likely men were to report the probability of aggressive sexual behavior if they were not exposed to violent pornography.

Topics: alcohol; myths/stereotypes; perpetration

Lacasse, A. & Mendelson, M. J. (2007). Sexual coercion among adolescents: Victims and perpetrators. Violence Against Women, 22, 424-437. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: In a small sample of students in Grades 8-11, sexist beliefs were associated with being a victim of sexual harassment or coercion among girls and with perpetrating sexual harassment or coercion among boys.

Summary: Students in a suburban Quebec school were asked if other students had verbally harassed them, made non-coercive sexual contact (e.g., unwanted kissing) or attempted to obtain sexual favors using blackmail or force in the previous 3 months. They were also asked if they had perpetrated those acts on another student. The study included 37 students who reported being victimized and 21 who reported perpetrating the behavior. These groups were then compared with a matched control sample of students. Female students who were victims (n=27) were more likely to endorse sexist attitudes than other girls; boys who were perpetrators were more likely to endorse sexist attitudes than other boys. All victims were more likely to use drugs and alcohol than controls or perpetrators. Both victims and perpetrators were involved with more deviant behaviors than controls.

Limitations:: Small sample size; students were only asked about peer-related behaviors outside of romantic relationships, which may have resulted in underreporting of victimization; and the perceived severity of the experiences was not assessed.

Topics: adolescent/high school; harassment; myths/stereotypes; perpetration

O'Donnell, L., Stueve, A., Myint-U, A., Duran, R., Agronick, G., & Wilson-Simmons, R. (2006). Middle school aggression and subsequent intimate partner physical violence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 693-703. [Posted January 2008]

Key Points: Aggressive interpersonal behavior in eighth grade is predictive of both intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization in young adults.

Summary: Youth in three Brooklyn, NY schools completed a survey three times: in eighth grade, in high school, and as young adults (age 19-20) (N=977). They were asked about interpersonal violence experienced and perpetrated in school, and about domestic violence experienced or witnessed in the home. Demographic information was collected to see if there was a relationship between violence and gender, race/ethnicity, which parent(s) were living in the home, religious service attendance, school performance, substance use, and age at sexual initiation. For young adult females, being a victim of intimate violence was associated with witnessing or experiencing physical aggression in the home as a child and with substance abuse, and was not associated with early aggression or any other characteristics. Perpetrating partner violence was associated with early aggression or with witnessing/experiencing violence as a child. Females who were witnesses or victims of domestic aggression as children were 2-3 times as likely to report perpetration. Among young men, exposure to domestic physical violence as a child, early aggression and early sexual initiation were associated with perpetrating and experiencing partner violence. No other demographic characteristics were related to partner violence. For both males and females, violence in the home was the factor most strongly correlated with early aggression as well as perpetrating and being a victim of partner violence.

Limitations: The sample in this study may not be representative of all youth. Because the most aggressive males had the highest attrition rate over the course of the study, male violence in relationships may be underestimated by the results. Only physical abuse was considered in this study.

Topics: adolescent/high school; perpetration

Parkhill, M. R. & Abbey, A. (2008). Does alcohol contribute to the confluence model of sexual assault perpetration?  Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 27, 529-554. [Posted September 2008]
 
Key Points: Men who reported higher levels of general alcohol behaviors and expectancies reported high levels of impersonal sex, hostile masculinity, and situational alcohol use.

Summary: This study expanded on past research on the Confluence Model of Sexual Assault Perpetration by examining how alcohol use may contribute to men’s likelihood of perpetrating sexual assault. Two key components of the Confluence Model were tested: impersonal sex and hostile masculinity.  The sample consisted of 365 men at an urban university who were at least 21 years old, drank alcohol, and had heterosexual dating experiences within the past year. The survey measured delinquency, drinking behaviors and expectancies, impersonal sex, hostile masculinity, situational alcohol consumption, and sexual assault perpetration.  At least one sexually aggressive act (making a woman have sex who clearly did not consent or who was unable to consent) was reported by 58% of the men, 48% perpetrated only when sober, 27% only when intoxicated, and 25% had perpetrated both when sober and intoxicated.
 
Limitations:  The confluence model developed for research with college students may not be generalizable to other community samples.

Topics: alcohol, college, perpetration

Reed, E., Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., Rothman, E. F., Decker, M. R., Gottlieb, B. R., et al. (in press). Social and environmental contexts of adolescent and young adult male perpetrators of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study.  American Journal of Men’s Health. [Posted July 2008]   
                                                     
Key Points:  Social and environmental life contexts and their interaction should be considered when addressing male perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). 

Summary:  This was a qualitative study that examined family, peer, school, and community contexts among male urban youth in New England who were perpetrators of IPV.  Interviews were conducted with 25 young men from five school and community-based IPV intervention programs for male perpetrators.  Themes that emerged from the interviews included; disruptive home environments, lack of positive male role models, peers who used substances, gang involvement, supporting behaviors of sexual mistreatment of females, lack of educational support, and impact of exposure to violence and/or fear of violence in their communities.

Limitations: The qualitative findings only reflect the individual experiences of a small group of young men enrolled in IPV perpetration programs. 

Topics: perpetration, prevention, treatment

Santana, M., Raj, A., Decker, M., La Marche, A., & Silverman, J. (2006). Masculine gender roles associated with increased sexual risk and intimate partner violence perpetration among young adult men. Journal of Urban Health, 83, 575-585. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Researchers found that men who believed in traditional male gender roles were more likely to have committed intimate partner violence within the past year than men with less traditional beliefs.

Summary: A group of 283 men, aged 18-35, were recruited at a community health center in Boston. The men were mostly Hispanic (74.9%) and Black (21.9%), and 55% were not born in the continental US. In the previous year, 40% reported committing one or more types of intimate partner violence (IPV): sexual violence (28.3%); physical violence (27.6%); and violence causing injury and/or need for medical services (13.8%). Men who had traditional male gender role beliefs were more likely to have committed intimate partner violence (IPV) within the past year and to have unprotected vaginal sex with a primary partner than men with less traditional beliefs. However, traditional beliefs were not associated with having multiple female partners, forcing unprotected sex, or engaging in unprotected anal sex. Levels of violence were the same regardless of race/ethnicity, country of origin, or acculturation. Only a low level of education (not having a high school diploma or GED) was associated with having traditional beliefs and with committing higher rates of IPV. The results do not imply a cause-and-effect relationship between IPV and traditional beliefs. However, interventions to reduce IPV and sexual risk among young men may be more successful if they promote less traditional gender role beliefs.

Topics: male-female relations; myths/stereotypes; perpetration

Silverman, J., Decker, M., Reed, E., Rothman, E., Hathaway, J., Raj, A., et al. (2006). Social norms & beliefs regarding sexual risk and pregnancy involvement among adolescent males treated for dating violence perpetration. Journal of Urban Health, 83, 723-735. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Beliefs about normal sexual behavior of men and women should be addressed when developing programs to reduce relationship violence and sexual risk.

Summary: The goal of this exploratory study was to generate hypotheses about the relationship between beliefs about sexual behavior and the practice of risky behaviors. Six focus groups were held with 34 young men aged 13-20 who were enrolled in dating violence programs because of actual abuse or concerns about their potential to abuse. Several major themes emerged from the groups. Participants believed that it was normal for men have multiple partners and that claims of sex gave men status. They described men as rationalizing rape to avoid thinking of themselves as rapists. They explained that men would not use condoms while high, or if putting a condom on gave a girl an opportunity to leave. They described hostile relations with women, who they believed usually lied about being raped. Participants believed men were not responsible for pregnancies because women used pregnancy to trick men into relationships.

Limitations: Small sample, the inability to separate actual perpetrators from those merely at risk for dating violence, and the risk that focus group participants were trying to impress the researchers and each other.

Topics: adolescent/high school; perpetration

Spitzberg, B. H. & Cupach, W. R. (2007). The state of the art of stalking: Taking stock of the emerging literature. Aggression & Violent Behavior, 12, 64-86. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: The article provides a thorough overview and explanation of issues related to stalking based on the current published literature.

Summary: This meta-analysis summarizes the results of 175 studies of stalking. In addition to looking at variations in prevalence between studies, the authors considered the definitions of stalking and described the closely-related set of behaviors termed “obsessive relational intrusion.” The authors created systematic typologies of types of stalkers, stalkers’ motivations, and types of stalking behaviors. Victims’ coping responses and the effects of stalking are also categorized. The majority of stalking victims are women. Because the majority of victims (79%) were acquainted with the stalker, and because half of all stalking was related to romantic relationships, the authors recommended looking at most stalking not only as criminal behavior or psychopathology, but as a type of “relationship terrorism” similar to other types of domestic violence.

Topics: effects; perpetration; prevalence; stalking

Swahn, M.H., Simon, T.R., Arias, I., & Bossarte, R.M.  (in press). Measuring sex differences in violence victimization and perpetration within date and same-sex peer relationships.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence. [Posted July 2008]
 
Key Points:  This study highlights sex differences in the prevalence of physical violence and psychological aggression, victimization, and perpetration within dating and same-sex adolescent relationships.  

Summary: In 2004, 4,131 students from a high-risk school district were assessed on dating and peer physical violence and psychological aggression.  The objective of the study was to determine if boys’ and girls’ experiences of interpersonal violence differ by gender and grade level.  Students completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire that asked about dating and same-sex peer violence victimization that occurred in the past 12 months.  Results showed that several sex differences do occur in victimization and perpetration of physical violence in both relationship contexts. Females reported a higher incidence of reported physical violence perpetration within a dating context and boys reported more physical violence in same-sex peer relationships.  Boys were more likely to inflict injury in both types of relationships.  Experiences of interpersonal violence for boys and girls varied by age.  

Limitations:  The findings of the study were based on students in a high-risk community; indicators of risk include poverty, unemployment, single parent households, and serious crimes. 

Topics:  adolescent/high school, male-female relations, perpetration

Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2008). Online "predators" and their victims: Myths, realities, and implications for prevention and treatment. American Psychologist, 63, 111-128. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: Prevention efforts based on myths about online sexual abuse are likely to be ineffective.

Summary: This article summarizes current research on online sexual victimization and compares it to media accounts. The authors identify the known characteristics of online crimes, victims, and offenders, using data from the nationally representative Youth Internet Safety Surveys (YISS) and the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV). The YISS studies surveyed Internet users aged 10-17, and the N-JOV study collected information from law enforcement agencies on Internet-related sex crimes with underage victims. The authors note that only 5% of crimes from the N-JOV study involved the use of force, and none involved children under the age of 12. They suggest that the emotional immaturity and strong sexual feelings of young adolescents may lead them to develop romantic attachments to people they meet online. The authors point out that traditional therapeutic treatment that emphasizes recovery from abuse may not be appropriate for youth who do not identify as victims, and that new models need to be developed. They recommend that prevention efforts with adolescents be targeted, age-appropriate, and include frank discussions of sexuality and the hazards of relationships with older people. Finally, they caution that the dynamic and evolving sphere of electronic communication, including text messaging and new online technologies, make continuing research into monitoring online environments essential to prevent victimization.

Topics: adolescent/high school; media/internet; myths/stereotypes; perpetration; prevention; risk; treatment

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Updated 09/30/08