@article{BertokMeškoSchusteretal.2021, author = {Bertok, Eva and Meško, Gorazd and Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina}, title = {Physical teen dating violence in high school students in Slovenia}, series = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, volume = {178}, journal = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, editor = {Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina}, publisher = {Jossey-Bass}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1534-8687}, doi = {10.1002/cad.20436}, pages = {59 -- 77}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Although teen dating violence (TDV) is internationally recognized as a serious threat to adolescents' health and well-being, almost no data is available for Slovenian youth. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of TDV among Slovenian adolescents for the first time. Using data from the SPMAD study (Study of Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Delinquency), 330 high school students were asked about physical TDV victimization and perpetration as well as about their dating history, relationship conflicts, peers' antisocial behavior, and informal social control by family and school. A substantial number of female andmale adolescents reported victimization (16.7\% of female and 12.7\% of male respondents) and perpetration (21.1\% of female and 6.0\% of male respondents). Furthermore, the results revealed that lower age at the first relationship, relationship conflicts, and school informal social control were associated with victimization, whereas being female, relationship conflicts, having antisocial peers, and family informal social control were linked to perpetration. Implications of the study findings were discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{MarchewkaTomaszewskaSchusteretal.2022, author = {Marchewka, Juliette and Tomaszewska, Paulina and Schuster, Isabell and Krah{\´e}, Barbara}, title = {Unacknowledged and missed cases of sexual victimization}, series = {Aggressive behavior : a multidisciplinary journal devoted to the experimental and observational analysis of conflict in humans and animals}, volume = {48}, journal = {Aggressive behavior : a multidisciplinary journal devoted to the experimental and observational analysis of conflict in humans and animals}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-Liss}, address = {New York}, issn = {0096-140X}, doi = {10.1002/ab.22043}, pages = {573 -- 582}, year = {2022}, abstract = {From the beginning of systematic research on sexual victimization, it has been recognized that a substantial proportion of women report nonconsensual sexual experiences meeting the defining criteria of rape in response to behaviorally specific items, but do not acknowledge their experience as rape in response to broad questions about whether they have ever been raped. Recent studies suggest that rates of unacknowledged rape may be as high or even higher among men than among women. This study examined rates of unacknowledged female and male victims of rape and sexual assault by comparing responses to behaviorally specific items of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S) with responses to broad questions using the labels of sexual assault and rape (SARA) in 593 participants (303 women) in Germany. As predicted, more women and men were classified as rape victims based on behaviorally specific items than on the basis of the broad rape item. The rates of unacknowledged rape were about 60\% for women and 75\% for men. The gender difference was not significant. Against our prediction, no significant differences in acknowledgement of sexual assault were found in relation to coercive strategy and victim-perpetrator relationship. Few cases of rape and sexual assault identified by the SARA items were missed by the behaviorally specific questions. The implications for establishing prevalence rates of rape and sexual assault and for comparing victims and nonvictims in terms of vulnerability factors and outcomes of sexual victimization are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterTomaszewska2020, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina}, title = {Pathways from child sexual and physical abuse to sexual and physical intimate partner violence victimization through attitudes toward intimate partner violence}, series = {Journal of family violence}, volume = {36}, journal = {Journal of family violence}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0885-7482}, doi = {10.1007/s10896-020-00180-2}, pages = {443 -- 453}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Although many studies have shown that victims of child abuse have an increased vulnerability to revictimization in intimate relationships, the underlying mechanisms are not yet sufficiently well understood. Therefore, this study aimed at examining this relationship for both sexual and physical forms of violence as well as investigating the potential mediating role of attitudes toward sexual and physical intimate partner violence (IPV). Also, the potential moderating role of gender was explored. Sexual and physical child abuse and IPV victimization in adulthood as well as attitudes toward the respective form of IPV were assessed among 716 participants (448 female) in an online survey. The path analyses showed that child sexual abuse was positively linked to sexual IPV victimization among both women and men, whereas child physical abuse was positively associated with physical IPV victimization among women only. Furthermore, the relationship between both forms of child abuse and IPV victimization was mediated through more supportive attitudes toward the respective forms of IPV, but only among men. This study provides novel insights regarding the links between sexual and physical child abuse and revictimization in adulthood, suggesting that supporting attitudes toward IPV may be seen as vulnerability factor for revictimization. The moderating role of gender is especially discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterTomaszewskaMarchewkaetal.2020, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina and Marchewka, Juliette and Krah{\´e}, Barbara}, title = {Does question format matter in assessing the prevalence of sexual aggression?}, series = {The journal of sex research}, volume = {58}, journal = {The journal of sex research}, number = {4}, publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {0022-4499}, doi = {10.1080/00224499.2020.1777927}, pages = {502 -- 511}, year = {2020}, abstract = {As research on sexual aggression has been growing, methodological issues in assessing prevalence rates have received increased attention. Building on work by Abbey and colleagues about effects of question format, participants in this study (1,253; 621 female; 632 male) were randomly assigned to one of two versions of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). In Version 1, the coercive tactic (use/threat of physical force, exploitation of the inability to resist, verbal pressure) was presented first, and sexual acts (sexual touch, attempted and completed sexual intercourse, other sexual acts) were presented as subsequent questions. In Version 2, sexual acts were presented first, and coercive tactics as subsequent questions. No version effects emerged for overall perpetration rates reported by men and women. The overall victimization rate across all items was significantly higher in the tactic-first than in the sexual-act-first conditions for women, but not for men. Classifying participants by their most severe experience of sexual victimization showed that fewer women were in the nonvictim category and more men were in the nonconsensual sexual contact category when the coercive tactic was presented first. Sexual experience background did not moderate the findings. The implications for the measurement of self-reported sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterTomaszewskaKrahe2020, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina and Krah{\´e}, Barbara}, title = {Changing cognitive risk factors for sexual aggression}, series = {Journal of interpersonal violence}, volume = {37}, journal = {Journal of interpersonal violence}, number = {3-4}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {Thousand Oaks}, issn = {0886-2605}, doi = {10.1177/0886260520922341}, pages = {NP1377 -- NP1400}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Sexual aggression is a problem among college students worldwide, and a growing body of research has identified variables associated with an increased risk of victimization and perpetration. Among these, sexuality-related cognitions, such as sexual scripts, sexual self-esteem, perceived realism of pornography, and acceptance of sexual coercion, play a major role. The current experimental study aimed to show that these cognitive risk factors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are amenable to change, which is a critical condition for evidence-based intervention efforts. College students in Germany (N = 324) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a treatment group designed to change participants' sexual scripts for consensual sex with regard to the role of alcohol consumption, casual sex, and ambiguous communication of sexual intentions as risk factors for sexual aggression (EG1), a treatment group designed to promote sexual self-esteem, challenge the perceived realism of pornography, and reduce the acceptance of sexual coercion (EG2), and a non-treatment control group (CG). Baseline (T1), post-experimental (T2), and follow-up (T3) measures were taken across an eight-week period. Sexual scripts contained fewer risk factors for sexual aggression in EG1 than in EG2 and CG at T3. Sexual self-esteem was enhanced in EG2 at T2 relative to the other two groups. Acceptance of sexual coercion was lower in EG2 than in EG1 and CG at T2 and T3. No effect was found for perceived realism of pornography. The findings are discussed in terms of targeting cognitive risk factors as a basis for intervention programs.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterTomaszewska2021, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina}, title = {Introduction to the special issue. Prevalence and predictors of teen dating violence: A European perspective}, series = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, volume = {178}, journal = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, number = {Special Issue: Prevalence and predictors of teen dating violence: a European perspective}, publisher = {Jossey-Bass}, address = {San Francisco, Calif. [u.a.]}, issn = {1534-8687}, doi = {10.1002/cad.20444}, pages = {5 -- 10}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @article{KraheSchusterTomaszewska2021, author = {Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Schuster, Isabell and Tomaszewska, Paulina}, title = {Prevalence of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in a German university student sample}, series = {Archives of sexual behavior : the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research}, volume = {50}, journal = {Archives of sexual behavior : the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0004-0002}, doi = {10.1007/s10508-021-01963-4}, pages = {2109 -- 2121}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This study examined the prevalence of sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a sample of 1,172 students (755 female, 417 male) from four universities in Germany. All participants were asked about both victimization by, and perpetration of, sexual aggression since the age of 14 years, using the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). Prevalence rates were established for different coercive strategies, sexual acts, and victim-perpetrator relationships. Both same-sex and opposite-sex victim-perpetrator constellations were examined. The overall victimization rate was 62.1\% for women and 37.5\% for men. The overall perpetration rate was 17.7\% for men and 9.4\% for women. Prevalence rates of both victimization and perpetration were higher for participants who had sexual contacts with both opposite-sex and same-sex partners than for participants with exclusively opposite-sex partners. Significant overlap was found between victim and perpetrator status for men and women as well as for participants with only opposite-sex and both opposite-sex and same-sex partners. A disparity between (higher) victimization and (lower) perpetration reports was found for both men and women, suggesting a general underreporting of perpetration rather than a gendered explanation in terms of social desirability or the perception of consent cues. The findings are placed in the international research literature on the prevalence of sexual aggression before and after the \#metoo campaign, and their implications for prevention efforts are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{TomaszewskaSchuster2021, author = {Tomaszewska, Paulina and Schuster, Isabell}, title = {Prevalence of teen dating violence in Europe}, series = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, volume = {178}, journal = {New directions for child and adolescent development}, number = {Special Issue: Prevalence and predictors of teen dating violence: a European perspective}, publisher = {Jossey-Bass}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1534-8687}, doi = {10.1002/cad.20437}, pages = {11 -- 37}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Violence in adolescent relationships is a common problem with numerous negative short- and long-term consequences. Because most of the evidence on teen dating violence (TDV) synthesized in reviews comes from North American studies, this review aimed to compile evidence on prevalence rates of TDV based on studies identified for Europe only. Specifically, we considered different forms of TDV victimization and perpetration, gender differences, and its measurement. A systematic literature search of the most popular databases Ebsco and PubMed yielded a total of N = 34 studies, with most of the studies identified for Spain, and only a few studies in other European countries. In sum, the results revealed a great variability in prevalence rates across and within the European countries, a common pattern of gender differences, and a wide range of applied measures, corresponding with the evidence from the North American studies. Implications for future research and policy were discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{TomaszewskaSchuster2019, author = {Tomaszewska, Paulina and Schuster, Isabell}, title = {Comparing sexuality-related cognitions, sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion in dating app users and non-users}, series = {Sexuality research \& social policy}, volume = {17}, journal = {Sexuality research \& social policy}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1868-9884}, doi = {10.1007/s13178-019-00397-x}, pages = {188 -- 198}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Using dating apps has become popular for many young adults worldwide, promising the chance to meet new sexual partners. Because there is evidence that using dating apps may be associated with risky sexual behavior, this study compared users and non-users concerning their sexuality-related cognitions, namely their risky sexual scripts and sexual self-esteem, as well as their risky and sexually assertive behavior. It also explored the link between dating app use and acceptance of sexual coercion. A total of 491 young heterosexual adults (295 female) participated in an online survey advertised in social media and college libraries in Germany. Results indicated that users had more risky sexual scripts and reported more risky sexual behavior than non-users. Furthermore, male dating app users had lower sexual self-esteem and higher acceptance of sexual coercion than male non-users. In both gender groups, dating app use predicted casual sexual activity via a more risky casual sex script. Gender differences, potential underlying mechanisms, and directions for future research are discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{TomaszewskaKrahe2018, author = {Tomaszewska, Paulina and Krahe, Barbara}, title = {Predictors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among Polish University Students}, series = {Archives of sexual behavior : the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research}, volume = {47}, journal = {Archives of sexual behavior : the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0004-0002}, doi = {10.1007/s10508-016-0823-2}, pages = {493 -- 505}, year = {2018}, abstract = {This two-wave study investigated predictors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in a convenience sample of 318 Polish university students (214 women), considering males and females from the perspective of both victims and perpetrators. At T1, we assessed participants' risky sexual scripts (defined as cognitive representations of consensual sexual interactions containing elements related to sexual aggression), risky sexual behavior, pornography use, religiosity, sexual self-esteem, and attitudes toward sexual coercion. These variables were used to predict sexual aggression perpetration and victimization reports obtained 12 months later (T2) for two time windows: (a) since the age of 15 until a year ago and (b) in the past year. As expected, risky sexual scripts were linked to risky sexual behavior and indirectly increased the likelihood of victimization in both time windows. Lower sexual self-esteem predicted sexual victimization since age 15, but not in the past 12 months. Pornography use and religiosity indirectly predicted victimization via risky scripts and behavior. Attitudes toward sexual coercion were a prospective predictor of sexual aggression perpetration. The results extend the international literature on sexual aggression and have implications for sexual education and sexual aggression prevention programs.}, language = {en} }