Abstract IMPAIRED SEXUAL ASSERTIVENESS AND CONSENSUAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY AS RISK FACTORS FOR SEXUAL COERCION IN HETEROSEXUAL COLLEGE WOMEN by David Pierce Walker This study investigated the role of sexual assertiveness as a predictor of verbal sexual coercion in a sample of 447 college women using self-report measures. The Sexual Assertiveness Questionnaire for Women (SAQ-W) assessed relational sexual assertiveness and sexual confidence and communication assertiveness. It was hypothesized that more impaired sexual assertiveness in the context of higher rates of sexual activity would be associated with an increased risk for verbal sexual coercion. Impaired sexual assertiveness was associated with multiple forms of sexual victimization, including verbal coercion, and was a predictor of negative sexual identity and non-sexual motivations for sexual activity. In addition, sexual assertiveness moderated the relationship between the number of sexual partners and verbal sexual coercion. Findings suggest that continued research into the construct of sexual assertiveness may inform risk reduction intervention strategies for college women. IMPAIRED SEXUAL ASSERTIVENESS AND CONSENSUAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY AS RISK FACTORS FOR SEXUAL COERCION IN HETEROSEXUAL COLLEGE WOMEN A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Psychology by David Pierce Walker Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2006 Advisor__________________________ Terri Messman-Moore Reader___________________________ Margaret Wright Reader___________________________ Rose Marie Ward Table of Contents Introduction....................................................................................................................1 Method ...........................................................................................................................7 Results............................................................................................................................9 Discussion....................................................................................................................14 References....................................................................................................................20 Table 1 .........................................................................................................................23 Table 2 .........................................................................................................................24 Table 3 .........................................................................................................................28 Table 4 .........................................................................................................................32 Table 5 .........................................................................................................................33 Table 6 .........................................................................................................................34 Table 7 .........................................................................................................................40 Figures..........................................................................................................................42 Appendices...................................................................................................................54 ii List of tables Table 1. Trauma Symptom Inventory Subscale Breakdown Table 2. Exploratory Factor Loadings for SAQ-W Table 3. Confirmatory Factor Loadings for SAQ-W Table 4. Correlations Between SAQ-W Scales and Coercive Sexual Experiences Table 5. Analysis of Group Differences in Hypothesis One ANOVA Table 6. Coefficients of Predictor Variables in Tests of Hypothesis Three Table 7. Coefficients of Predictor Variables in Tests of Hypothesis Four iii List of Figures Figure 1. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Number of Received Oral Sex Partners as Predictors of Threats to End the Relationship Figure 2. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Number of Sexual Intercourse Partners as Predictors of Threats to End the Relationship Figure 3. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Number of Received Oral Sex Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Sexual Intercourse Figure 4. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Number of Given Oral Sex Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Sexual Intercourse Figure 5. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Number of Sexual Intercourse Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Sexual Intercourse Figure 6. Sexual Confidence and Communication Assertiveness and Number of Received Oral Sex Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Intercourse Figure 7. Sexual Confidence and Communication Assertiveness and Number of Given Oral Sex Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Intercourse Figure 8. Sexual Confidence and Communication Assertiveness and Number of Sexual Intercourse Partners as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Intercourse Figure 9. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Misinterpreted Intimacy as Predictors of Threats to End the Relationship Figure 10. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Misinterpreted Intimacy as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Oral Sex Figure 11. Relational Sexual Assertiveness and Misinterpreted Intimacy as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Sexual Intercourse Figure 12. Sexual Confidence and Communication Assertiveness and Misinterpreted Intimacy as Predictors of Verbally Coerced Sexual Intercourse iv Impaired Sexual Assertiveness and Consensual Sexual Activity as Risk Factors for Sexual Coercion in Heterosexual College Women Sexual victimization of college women is an all too common problem in our society. According to a study published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), as many as one in four college women are sexually victimized during their time in college (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000). However, the majority of these victimization incidents did not involve force or threat of force, but rather were incidents of verbal sexual coercion or non-forced unwanted intercourse. Additionally, the majority of the perpetrators of these incidents were previously known to the victims, indicating that the traditional “stranger in the alley” rape myth is grossly exaggerated. Many of the women surveyed indicated that they attempted to use some form of protective actions (e.g., trying to communicate a desire to not engage in sexual activity) to prevent the assault, but for many these actions were unsuccessful. It is in an attempt to understand this particular finding that the current research was developed. As seen in the results of the NIJ study, verbal sexual coercion is a common form of sexual victimization. The predominant model for understanding sexual victimization was developed by Mary Koss and has been utilized in countless studies to identify individuals with victimization histories. Koss theorizes a continuum of sexual victimization beginning with unwanted sexual contact, then proceeding to verbal sexual coercion (operationally defined as verbal arguments and pressure or misuse of an authority position to attain sex), attempted physically forced coercion, and ending with forcible sexual coercion (Koss & Gidycz, 1985; Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987). However, the concept of a continuum of victimization experiences has been challenged by several authors (e.g., O’Sullivan, 2005; Testa & Dermen, 1999). Testa and Dermen (1999) suggest that verbal sexual coercion represents a qualitatively distinct type of victimization experience; one that has correlates different from forcible coercion. For example, although assertiveness training is often incorporated into risk reduction programming for women (see Parrot, 1996), Testa and Dermen (1999) suggest that assertiveness may only be relevant to risk for verbal sexual coercion and not forcible sexual coercion. They argue that women with higher levels of assertiveness will be more equipped to successfully resist verbal and emotional pressure for sexual activity and that sexually aggressive men may be less likely to target assertive women for verbal coercion because they perceive such advances to be unsuccessful. However, when unwanted sexual advances are accompanied by force, assertiveness is unlikely to be sufficient to avoid victimization. To test their assumptions, Testa and Dermen (1999) examined the differential correlates of verbal and forcible sexual coercion. Both forms of coercion were associated with more casual sexual partners, increased alcohol consumption, and sexual behavior in the context of alcohol use. However verbal sexual coercion was also associated with greater endorsement of sex-related alcohol expectancies, lower levels of self-esteem, and low assertiveness. Additionally, women at risk for verbal coercion endorsed greater amounts of alcohol use in sexual encounters. Furthermore, verbal coercion but not forcible coercion, was associated with sex-related alcohol expectancies, which the authors suggest reflect a belief of low control in sexual situations as well as an expectancy of being unable to resist unwanted sexual advances. Moreover, the 1 disinhibiting effects of alcohol could further compound risk in conjunction with lower assertiveness, and increase the risk of alcohol-facilitated sexual victimization. A model developed by O’Sullivan (2005) broadly defines sexual coercion as sexual behavior that occurs when one partner recognizes that s/he does not want to engage in the sexual