Jessica A. Turchik

Measurement of Sexual Risk Taking Among College Students

Current measures of sexual risk taking are either too narrowly focused to be used with college students or do not have adequate psychometric properties. The goal of the current study was to develop a broad and psychometrically sound measure of sexual risk taking. A total of 613 undergraduate students (302 men, 311 women) at a mid-sized Midwestern university in the U.S. were surveyed to develop and gather reliability and validity information on a new measure of sexual risk, the Sexual Risk Survey (SRS). The measure was found to be multifactorial with five factors. The measure was found to have good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The SRS also demonstrated evidence of convergent and concurrent validity by its relationships with reported number of sexual partners and history of infidelity as well as measures of sensation seeking, sexual desire, substance use, sexual excitation and inhibition, and sexual health consequences. Social desirability was not found to be related to sexual risk taking scores and threat of sexual disclosure was only weakly related. An investigation of sex differences revealed that men reported greater intentions to engage in sexual risk behaviors and greater overall sexual risk taking behavior compared to women. The SRS provides researchers with a valid and comprehensive measure of sexual risk taking that can be used to clarify inconsistent findings in the literature and to assess outcome in programs designed to prevent and reduce sexual risk behaviors among college students.

Personality, Sexuality, and Substance Use as Predictors of Sexual Risk Taking in College Students

Sexual risk taking among college students is common and can lead to serious consequences, such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. This study utilized responses from 310 undergraduate psychology students aged 18 to 23 to examine personality, sexuality, and substance use predictors of sexual risk behaviors over a six-month period. Data were collected from 2005 to 2006 at a medium-sized Midwestern U.S. university. Results indicated that greater alcohol and recreational drug use, higher extraversion, and lower agreeableness were related to sexual risk taking in men. For women, greater alcohol and drug use, higher sexual excitation, and lower sexual inhibition were predictive of sexual risk taking. Among women, but not men, sensation seeking was found to mediate the relationship between the four significant substance use, personality, and sexuality variables and sexual risk taking. Implications for sexual risk behavior prevention and intervention programming are discussed.

Factors Predicting the Type of Tactics Used to Resist Sexual Assault: A Prospective Study of College Women

The purpose of the current study was to examine how womens intentions, as well as psychological and situational factors, predicted the actual use of resistance tactics in response to a sexual assault situation over a 2-month follow-up period. Twenty-eight percent of the 378 undergraduate women who participated at the baseline assessment and returned for the follow-up session 8 weeks later were victimized over the interim period. The results suggested that womens reported use of verbally assertive tactics was predicted by the intention to use verbally assertive tactics, concern about injury, greater confidence, and feelings of being isolated or controlled by the perpetrator. The use of physically assertive tactics was predicted by increased severity of the attack, greater confidence, and feelings of being isolated or controlled by the perpetrator. The use of nonforceful tactics was predicted by intentions to use nonforceful tactics, increased self-consciousness, knowing the perpetrator prior to the assault, fears of losing the relationship with the perpetrator, and no history of childhood sexual victimization. These findings have important implications in sexual assault risk-reduction programming.

An Examination of the Factors Related to Dating Violence Perpetration Among Young Men and Women and Associated Theoretical Explanations A Review of the Literature

This article provides a review of the literature on dating violence (DV) perpetration, specifically sex similarities and differences in the correlates and predictors of DV perpetration and the utility of current theories to explain young men’s and women’s DV perpetration. Overall, many of the correlates and predictors of DV perpetration are similar among young men and women (e.g., witnessing interparental violence, experiencing child abuse, alcohol abuse, traditional gender roles, relationship power dynamics). However, young women’s perpetration of DV is more strongly related to internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression), trait anger and hostility, and experiencing DV victimization than young men’s perpetration, whereas young men’s perpetration of DV is more consistently related to lower socioeconomic status and educational attainment, antisocial personality characteristics, and increased relationship length than young women’s perpetration. Each theory offers insights into but does not fully account for the correlates and predictors of DV perpetration. Sociocultural theories may be useful in explaining the use of coercive control in relationships, and learning/intergenerational transmission of violence theories may be useful in explaining bidirectional couple violence. Future research should focus on integrative theories, such as in the social–ecological theory, in order to explain various forms of DV. Our understanding of young men’s and young women’s DV perpetration is limited by cross-sectional research designs, methodological inconsistencies, a lack of sex-specific analytic approaches, and a lack of focus on contextual factors; more multivariate and longitudinal studies are needed. Further, as DV prevention programming is often presented in mixed-sex formats, a critical understanding of sex differences and similarities in DV perpetration could ultimately refine and improve effectiveness of programming efforts aimed at reducing DV.

Perceived barriers to care and provider gender preferences among veteran men who have experienced military sexual trauma: a qualitative analysis.

Research suggests that there may be unique barriers to accessing care among men who have experienced sexual trauma. The primary goal of the current research was to elucidate potential barriers to accessing military sexual trauma (MST)-related care for male veterans. A secondary goal was to explore whether veterans have preferences regarding the gender of clinicians providing MST-related care. Qualitative analyses were used to examine data collected from semistructured interviews conducted with 20 male veterans enrolled in Veterans Health Administration care who reported MST but who had not received any MST-related mental health care. Veterans identified a number of potential barriers, with the majority of reported barriers relating to issues of stigma and gender. Regarding provider gender preferences, veterans were mixed, with 50% preferring a female provider, 25% a male provider, and 25% reporting no gender preference. These preliminary data suggest that stigma, gender, and knowledge-related barriers may exist for men regarding seeking MST-related care. Interventions to address potential barriers, such as outreach interventions and providing gender-specific psychoeducation, may increase access to care for male veterans who report MST.

Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Dysfunctions Among Newly Returned Veterans With and Without Military Sexual Trauma

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study examined the odds of being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a sexual dysfunction disorder (SDD) among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) American veterans receiving care in the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA) in relation to whether or not they have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). Among those veterans who experienced MST, the influence of a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, a depressive disorder, or a substance use disorder on the odds of being diagnosed with an STI or SDD was also examined. The study utilized nationwide VHA records of 420,725 OEF/OIF male and female veterans who used VHA services in fiscal years 2002 to 2010. Veterans who reported a history of MST were more likely to have a number of STIs and SDDs compared with veterans without a history of MST. Among veterans with MST, the risk for having an STI or SDD increased with the presence of certain mental health diagnoses. Implications for clinical practice and assessment with veterans are discussed.

Female Sexual Victimization Among College Students Assault Severity, Health Risk Behaviors, and Sexual Functioning

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between college women’s sexual victimization experiences, health risk behaviors, and sexual functioning. A sample of 309 college women at a mid-sized Midwestern university completed measures assessing sexual victimization, sexual risk taking, substance use behaviors, sexual desire, sexual functioning, prior sexual experiences, and social desirability. Severity of sexual victimization was measured using a multi-item, behaviorally specific, gender-neutral measure, which was divided into four categories based on severity (none, sexual contact, sexual coercion, rape). Within the sample, 72.8% (n = 225) of women reported at least one experience of sexual victimization since age 16. Results from MANCOVAs and a multinomial logistic regression, controlling for social desirability and prior sexual experience, revealed that sexual victimization among female students was related to increased drug use, problematic drinking behaviors, sexual risk taking, sexual dysfunction, and dyadic sexual desire. In addition, findings indicated that women exposed to more severe forms of sexual victimization (i.e., rape) were most likely to report these risk-taking behaviors and sexual functioning issues. Implications for sexual assault risk reduction programming and treatment are discussed.

Utilization and Intensity of Outpatient Care Related to Military Sexual Trauma for Veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq

Little research has examined factors associated with the utilization of outpatient health care services related to sexual assault experiences. The Veterans Health Administration provides free outpatient treatment services to veterans who report military sexual trauma (MST); this system provides a unique opportunity to examine factors related to the utilization of mental health and non-mental health outpatient services by patients with sexual trauma. The current study examined sociodemographic, military service factors, and primary diagnoses related to utilization and utilization intensity of MST-related care among 4,458 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans in a 1-year period after reporting an experience of MST. Of the veterans who reported MST, 75.9% received MST-related care. The most notable factor that influenced receipt and intensity of MST-related care was gender, where male veterans used less care than female veterans. These results have important treatment implications for both veteran and civilian sexual trauma survivors.

Prediction of Sexual Assault Experiences in College Women Based on Rape Scripts: A Prospective Analysis

Although script theory has been applied to sexual assault (e.g., H. Frith & C. Kitzinger, 2001; A. S. Kahn, V. A. Andreoli Mathie, & C. Torgler, 1994), womens scripts of rape have not been examined in relation to predicting sexual victimization experiences. The purpose of the current study was to examine how elements of womens sexual assault scripts predicted their sexual assault experiences over a follow-up period. The authors used data from a baseline and follow-up session for 339 undergraduate women. The results suggest that women who constructed narratives containing certain elements were more likely to report a sexual assault over the academic quarter. Specifically, narratives containing the woman utilizing nonforceful resistance, the woman having less control over the outcome of the situation, the assault happening outdoors, the assault being more severe, and the woman having known the perpetrator less time were predictive of reported sexual victimization over the 8-week follow-up period. Additionally, having a history of adolescent sexual victimization was also predictive of reported sexual victimization over the quarter. These findings have important implications in sexual assault risk-reduction programming, which are discussed.

WORKING ALLIANCE AS A MEDIATOR OF CLIENT ATTACHMENT DIMENSIONS AND PSYCHOTHERAPY OUTCOME

Studies that employ multidimensional attachment measures to explore the impact of attachment style on psychotherapy process and outcome are virtually absent in the literature. Further, the role of the working (therapeutic) alliance as a mediator of the influence of attachment on treatment outcome has not been formally investigated. In order to address these gaps in the research, archival data from 66 psychotherapy clients treated at a university graduate program training clinic were used to examine the influence of three adult attachment dimensions (Comfort with Closeness, Comfort Depending on Others, and Rejection Anxiety) on the therapeutic alliance and outcome, as well as to assess whether the alliance mediates the relationship between attachment and therapy outcome. Both Comfort with Closeness and Comfort Depending on Others were significantly related to alliance and outcome, whereas Rejection Anxiety was not significantly related to either variable. Alliance was a significant partial mediator of the effect of Comfort with Closeness on outcome. The results suggest that multidimensional measures of attachment capture important influences on alliance and psychotherapy and that Comfort with Closeness promotes successful outcome by virtue of its influence on alliance.