Peter B. Anderson

Tactics of sexual coercion: When men and women won't take no for an answer

We investigated womens and mens reports of experiencing and using tactics of postrefusal sexual persistence, defined as persistent attempts to have sexual contact with someone who has already refused. Participants were 275 men and 381 women at Midwestern and Southern universities. More women (78%) than men (58%) reported having been subjected to such tactics since age 16; this difference was significant for the categories of sexual arousal, emotional manipulation and lies, and intoxication, and for two tactics within the physical force category (physical restraint and threats of harm). More men (40%) than women (26%) reported having used such tactics; this difference was significant for the sexual arousal, emotional manipulation and lies, and intoxication categories. We present participants’ written descriptions of their experiences.

Reports of female initiation of sexual contact : male and female differences

Womens reports of initiating sexual contact and mens reports of experiencing female initiation were compared. 128 male and 212 female college students were recruited from sexuality classes at three institutions. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between womens reports of initiating sexual contact and mens reports of experiencing female initiation. A chi-square test of significance at the p <0.05 level with an alpha rate adjustment (p <0.002) using the Bonferroni technique was implemented. Of 26 questionnaire items, 15 registered significant differences between male and female reports (p <0.002). Overall, males reported experiencing female initiation more frequently than females reported initiating. Traditional gender roles may influence male and female perceptions of female initiation of sexual contact in a way that contributes to significant differences in reporting.

Male and Female Differences in Reports of Women's Heterosexual Initiation and Aggression

Previous work that compared male and femalereports of womens heterosexual initiation andaggression is replicated. It was hypothesized that mensreports of womens sexual initiation and aggressionwould be significantly greater than womensself-report of sexual initiation and aggression in themost recent sample. Of the 24 questionnaire items, 12 ofthe 17 specifically designed to assess sexual initiation or aggression demonstrated significantreporting differences. For every questionnaire item,except “mutually consenting contact,” menreported women initiating sexual contact more often thanwomen self-reported. In addition, comparisons were made to determinethe level of agreement between the results of this studyand a previous study in which the same comparisons weremade with a different sample. It was hypothesized that the identical questionnaire items woulddemonstrate significant gender-based reportingdifferences in both samples. This hypothesis was mostlysupported with 11 items showing a significant difference in both samples. In both samples, malesreported receiving female initiation and aggression morefrequently than females reported giving. Logisticregression results supported a difference in perception of womens sexual initiation based on gender ofrespondent. In both samples men see womens initiationas less conforming to traditional social norms for womenand more aggressive than women do. Gender role expectations and social desirability mayinfluence male and female perceptions of femaleheterosexual initiation and aggression in a way thatcontributes to significant differences inreporting.

Variations in College Women's Self-Reported Heterosexual Aggression

The purpose of this study was to provide an examination of differences in college womens self-reported heterosexual aggression between two samples. One sample of college women was drawn from three colleges in and around New York city (East; N = 212) and one was drawn from a midsized commuter university in Louisiana (South; N = 249). The respondents were questioned about their lifetime initiation of heterosexual activity. Approximately 28.5% of the women from the East reported engaging in sexually initiatory behaviors traditionally defined as sexual coercion, 21.1% in sexual abuse, and 7.1% in physically forced sex. The women in the sample from the South also reported engaging in sexual coercion (25.7%), sexual abuse (7.3%), and physically forced sex (1.6%), but at lower rates than the other sample. Chi-square tests demonstrated significant group differences for overall sexual aggression (the combination of coercion, abuse, and physical force), sexual abuse, and physically forced sex but not for sexual coercion. Theory building and differences between samples are discussed.

Latino AIDS immigrants in the Western Gulf states: a different population and the need for innovative prevention strategies.

Abstract Immigrant HIV infected Latinos, and those at highest risk for infection, demonstrate strikingly different patterns of risk behaviors and origins. This complicates the already complex acculturation process impacting their lives. By weaving together immigration and AIDS epidemiological patterns, the impact of tightening immigration policy, and masked sexual behaviors, the authors express concern for a lack of communication with, and lack of health care access for, Latinos in the Western Gulf Coast. To combat this deficit, health care and social workers need to be aware of different social, cultural, and behavioral contexts in Latino populations. Policy makers should support efforts to provide health care workers with skills through appropriate language and cultural sensitivity workshops. HIV prevention strategies specific to Latinos are also discussed.

An examination of sexual strategies used by urban Southern and rural Midwestern university women.

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine whether womens use of persuasion, non‐physical coercion, and physical force strategies to obtain sex from a man varied between U.S. women from an urban Southern and rural Midwestern university and (b) to determine if sexual behavior history and early courtship behavior affected the use of these strategies (or not using any strategy). Women from the Midwest and the South did not differ in their use of sexual strategies. There were, however, other variables that accounted for differences in womens use of sexual strategies. Women who used persuasion strategies had fewer lifetime sexual partners than women who used any other strategy. Women who used physical force strategies reported a lower age at first intercourse and more early courtship behaviors than all others. Overall, the results indicated that sexual strategies are related to sexual behavior history and early courtship behaviors rather than cultural setting or demographics.

Spirituality and Sexuality: The Healthy Connection

This article offers an appraisal of the relationship between the spiritual and sexual dimensions of our health. It is argued that the essential ingredient of connectedness is at the core of each of these two dimensions. A framework of seven dimensions of health is presented as a paradigm for discussing this relationship. Finally, the personal and professional implications of expanding and promoting the spiritual and sexual aspects of our health, and the striking connection between them, are discussed.

The initiating heterosexual contact scale: A factor analysis

Recent studies of college womens initiation of heterosexual contact have focused on the relationships among predictors of womens heterosexual initiating behaviors, initiating strategies, and theories concerning sexuality and indicate the importance of establishing the psychometric properties of the research measurements. The present study of 212 college women (mean age = 22.3 years) investigated the factor structure underlying one of these tools, the Initiating Heterosexual Contact Scale (IHCS). The IHCS was developed to assess behaviors and motives relative to initiating heterosexual contact. Subjects were administered a survey that included their self-report of initiating sexual contact with men. Factor analysis of the 26-item scale revealed a 19-item scale comprised of six factors-Sexual Arousal, Hidden Motives, Verbal Pressure, Retaliation or Gain, Physical Force, and Exploitation-accounting for 59.8% of the response variance. The internal reliability of the subscales ranged from .43 to 75. Recommendations for further refinement of the IHCS and areas of future research are suggested.