@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{BondueBirke2021, author = {Bond{\"u}, Rebecca and Birke, Joseph B.}, title = {Aggression-related sexual fantasies}, series = {The journal of sexual medicine : basic research and clinical studies in male and female sexual function and dysfunction}, volume = {18}, journal = {The journal of sexual medicine : basic research and clinical studies in male and female sexual function and dysfunction}, number = {8}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1743-6095}, doi = {10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.06.006}, pages = {1383 -- 1397}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: Aggression-related sexual fantasies (ASF) are considered an important risk factor for sexual aggression, but empirical knowledge is limited, in part because previous research has been based on predominantly male, North-American college samples, and limited numbers of questions.
Aim: The present study aimed to foster the knowledge about the frequency and correlates of ASF, while including a large sample of women and a broad range of ASF.
Method: A convenience sample of N = 664 participants from Germany including 508 (77\%) women and 156 (23\%) men with a median age of 25 (21-27) years answered an online questionnaire. Participants were mainly recruited via social networks (online and in person) and were mainly students. We examined the frequencies of (aggression-related) sexual fantasies and their expected factor structure (factors reflecting affective, experimental, masochistic, and aggression-related contents) via exploratory factor analysis. We investigated potential correlates (eg, psychopathic traits, attitudes towards sexual fantasies) as predictors of ASF using multiple regression analyses. Finally, we examined whether ASF would positively predict sexual aggression beyond other pertinent risk factors using multiple regression analysis.
Outcomes: The participants rated the frequency of a broad set of 56 aggression-related and other sexual fantasies, attitudes towards sexual fantasies, the Big Five (ie, broad personality dimensions including neuroticism and extraversion), sexual aggression, and other risk factors for sexual aggression.
Results: All participants reported non-aggression-related sexual fantasies and 77\% reported at least one ASF in their lives. Being male, frequent sexual fantasies, psychopathic traits, and negative attitudes towards sexual fantasies predicted more frequent ASF. ASF were the strongest predictor of sexual aggression beyond other risk factors, including general aggression, psychopathic traits, rape myth acceptance, and violent pornography consumption.
Clinical Translation: ASF may be an important risk factor for sexual aggression and should be more strongly considered in prevention and intervention efforts.
Strengths and Limitations: The strengths of the present study include using a large item pool and a large sample with a large proportion of women in order to examine ASF as a predictor of sexual aggression beyond important control variables. Its weaknesses include the reliance on cross-sectional data, that preclude causal inferences, and not continuously distinguishing between consensual and non-consensual acts.
Conclusion: ASF are a frequent phenomenon even in in the general population and among women and show strong associations with sexual aggression. Thus, they require more attention by research on sexual aggression and its prevention.}, language = {en} } @article{BondueBirke2021, author = {Bond{\"u}, Rebecca and Birke, Joseph}, title = {Links between aggressive sexual fantasies and presumably non-consensual aggressive sexual behavior when controlling for BDSM identity}, series = {International journal of conflict and violence}, volume = {14}, journal = {International journal of conflict and violence}, number = {1}, publisher = {Inst. for Interdisciplinary Conflict and Violence Research, Univ. of Bielefeld}, address = {Bielefeld}, issn = {1864-1385}, doi = {10.4119/ijcv-3777}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Recent research provides evidence that aggressive sexual fantasies predict aggressive sexual behavior in the general population. However, sexual fantasies including fantasies about the infliction of pain and humiliation, should be frequent and often consensually acted upon among individuals with sadomasochistic likings. The question arises whether sexual fantasies with aggressive content still predict presumably non-consensual aggressive sexual behavior in individuals with sadomasochistic likings, given that BDSM encounters are generally considered consensual. To investigate this question, we conducted a questionnaire survey of sexual fantasies, as sessing the frequency of seventy sexual fantasies involving non-aggressive, masochistic, and aggressive acts. Our sample (N = 182) contained 99 respondents who self-identified as sadist, masochist, or switcher; 44 reported no such identification. For respondents reporting BDSM identification, we replicated a factor structure for sexual fantasies similar to that previously found in the general population, including three factors reflecting fantasies about increasingly severe aggressive sexual acts. Fantasies about injuring a partner and/or using weapons and fantasies about sexual coercion predicted presumably non-consensual sexual behavior independently of other risk factors for aggressive sexual behavior and irrespective of BDSM identification. Hence, severely aggressive sexual fantasies may predispose to presumably non-consensual sexual behavior in both individuals with and without BDSM identification.}, language = {en} } @article{KraheBerger2020, author = {Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Berger, Anja}, title = {Correlates of victim-perpetrator overlap in sexual aggression among men and women}, series = {Psychology of violence}, volume = {10}, journal = {Psychology of violence}, number = {5}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2152-0828}, doi = {10.1037/vio0000282}, pages = {564 -- 574}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Objective: The study replicated and extended a study by Peterson, Beagley, McCallum, and Artime (2019), who studied differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors in men who were both victims and perpetrators of sexual assault, only victims, only perpetrators, or neither. They found a heightened rate of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and some evidence of greater traumatic sexualization in men who were both victims and perpetrators. Method: Our sample consisted of 2,149 college students (39.6\% male) in Germany. We measured sexual aggression perpetration and victimization, CSA, sexual self-esteem, depressive symptoms, risky sexual scripts, and risky sexual behavior. Results: Perpetration rates were significantly higher among victims than among nonvictims, and the victim-perpetrator group scored highest on CSA. A significant effect of group membership was found on measures of depressive symptoms, risky sexual scripts, and risky sexual behavior in both sex groups, mainly due to differences of the victim-only, perpetrator-only, and victim-perpetrator groups from the nonvictim-nonperpetrator group. The effect on sexual self-esteem was found for women only. Few differences emerged between the victim-only, perpetrator-only, and victim-perpetrator groups. Most associations remained significant when controlling for CSA. Conclusion: We found a substantial overlap between victimization and perpetration but no evidence for a special vulnerability of the victim-perpetrator group. Instead, experiences of victimization, perpetration, or both were linked to more negative correlates compared with individuals who were neither victims nor perpetrators. The findings need to be interpreted with caution due to the small number of individuals in the perpetrator-only and victim-perpetrator groups.}, language = {en} } @misc{SchusterKrahe2019, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Krahe, Barbara}, title = {Prevalence of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration in Chile}, series = {Trauma violence \& abuse}, volume = {20}, journal = {Trauma violence \& abuse}, number = {2}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {Thousand Oaks}, issn = {1524-8380}, doi = {10.1177/1524838017697307}, pages = {229 -- 244}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Sexual aggression is a major public health issue worldwide, but most knowledge is derived from studies conducted in North America and Western Europe. Little research has been conducted on the prevalence of sexual aggression in developing countries, including Chile. This article presents the first systematic review of the evidence on the prevalence of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among women and men in Chile. Furthermore, it reports differences in prevalence rates in relation to victim and perpetrator characteristics and victim-perpetrator relationships. A total of N = 28 studies were identified by a three-stage literature search, including the screening of academic databases, publications of Chilean institutions, and reference lists. A great heterogeneity was found for prevalence rates of sexual victimization, ranging between 1.0\% and 51.9\% for women and 0.4\% and 48.0\% for men. Only four studies provided perpetration rates, which varied between 0.8\% and 26.8\% for men and 0.0\% and 16.5\% for women. No consistent evidence emerged for differences in victimization rates in relation to victims' gender, age, and education. Perpetrators were more likely to be persons known to the victim. Conceptual and methodological differences between the studies are discussed as reasons for the great variability in prevalence rates, and recommendations are provided for a more harmonized and gender-inclusive approach for future research on sexual aggression in Chile.}, language = {en} } @misc{WinzerKraheGuest2019, author = {Winzer, Lylla and Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Guest, Philip Michael}, title = {The Scale of Sexual Aggression in Southeast Asia: A Review}, series = {Trauma, violence \& abuse}, volume = {20}, journal = {Trauma, violence \& abuse}, number = {5}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {Thousand Oaks}, issn = {1524-8380}, doi = {10.1177/1524838017725312}, pages = {595 -- 612}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. It is experiencing rapid socioeconomic change that may influence the level of sexual aggression, but data on the scale of sexual aggression in the region remain sparse. The aim of the present article was to systematically review the findings of studies available in English on the prevalence of self-reported sexual aggression and victimization among women and men above the age of 12 years in the 11 countries of Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). Based on four scientific databases, the search engine Google, Opengrey database, and reference checking, 49 studies were found on sexual victimization. Of those, 32 included only women. Self-reported perpetration was assessed by only three studies and included all-male samples. Prevalence rates varied widely across studies but showed that sexual victimization was widespread among different social groups, irrespective of sex and sexual orientation. Methodological heterogeneity, lack of representativeness of samples, imbalance of information available by country, missing information within studies, and cultural differences hampered the comparability between and within countries. There is a need for operationalizations that specifically address sexual aggression occurring after the age of consent, based on detailed behavioral descriptions of unwanted sexual experiences and allied to a qualitative approach with cultural sensitivity. Data on sexual aggression in conflict settings and in human trafficking are also limited. Recommendations for future research are presented in the discussion.}, language = {en} } @article{SchusterKraheIlabacaBaezaetal.2016, author = {Schuster, Isabell and Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Ilabaca Baeza, Paola and Munoz-Reyes, Jose A.}, title = {Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration among Male and Female College Students in Chile}, series = {Frontiers in psychology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Frontiers in psychology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01354}, pages = {12}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Evidence on the prevalence of sexual aggression among college students is primarily based on studies from Western countries. In Chile, a South American country strongly influenced by the Catholic Church, little research on sexual aggression among college students is available. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration since the age of 14 (the legal age of consent) in a sample of male and female students aged between 18 and 29 years from five Chilean universities (N = 1135), to consider possible gender differences, and to study the extent to which alcohol was involved in the reported incidents of perpetration and victimization. Sexual aggression victimization and perpetration was measured with a Chilean Spanish version of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S), which includes three coercive strategies (use or threat of physical force, exploitation of an incapacitated state, and verbal pressure), three victim-perpetrator constellations (current or former partners, friends/acquaintances, and strangers), and four sexual acts (sexual touch, attempted sexual intercourse, completed sexual intercourse, and other sexual acts, such as oral sex). Overall, 51.9\% of women and 48.0\% of men reported at least one incident of sexual victimization, and 26.8\% of men and 16.5\% of women reported at least one incident of sexual aggression perpetration since the age of 14. For victimization, only few gender differences were found, but significantly more men than women reported sexual aggression perpetration. A large proportion of perpetrators also reported victimization experiences. Regarding victim-perpetrator relationship, sexual aggression victimization and perpetration were more common between persons who knew each other than between strangers. Alcohol use by the perpetrator, victim, or both was involved in many incidents of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, particularly among strangers. The present data are the first to provide a systematic and detailed picture of sexual aggression among college students in Chile, including victimization and perpetration reports by both men and women and confirming the critical role of alcohol established in past research from Western countries.}, language = {en} } @article{TomaszewskaKrahe2015, author = {Tomaszewska, Paulina and Krah{\´e}, Barbara}, title = {Sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among female and male university students in Poland}, series = {Journal of Interpersonal Violence}, volume = {33}, journal = {Journal of Interpersonal Violence}, number = {4}, publisher = {Sage}, address = {Thousand Oaks, Calif.}, doi = {10.1177/0886260515609583}, pages = {571 -- 594}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This study examined the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression since age 15 in a convenience sample of 565 Polish university students (356 females). The prevalence of sexual aggression was investigated for both males and females from the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators in relation to three coercive strategies, three different victim-perpetrator relationships, and four types of sexual acts. We also examined the extent to which alcohol was consumed in the context of sexually aggressive incidents. The overall self-reported victimization rate was 34.3\% for females and 28.4\% for males. The overall perpetration rate was 11.7\% for males and 6.5\% for females. The gender difference was significant only for perpetration. Prevalence rates of both victimization and perpetration were higher for people known to each other than for strangers. In the majority of victimization and perpetration incidents, alcohol was consumed by one or both parties involved. The findings are discussed in relation to the international evidence and the need for tailored risk prevention and reduction programs.}, language = {en} } @article{KraheBergerVanwesenbeecketal.2015, author = {Krah{\´e}, Barbara and Berger, Anja and Vanwesenbeeck, Ine and Bianchi, Gabriel and Chliaoutakis, Joannes and Fernandez-Fuertes, Andres A. and Fuertes, Antonio and de Matos, Margarida Gaspar and Hadjigeorgiou, Eleni and Haller, Birgitt and Hellemans, Sabine and Izdebski, Zbigniew and Kouta, Christiana and Meijnckens, Dwayne and Murauskiene, Liubove and Papadakaki, Maria and Ramiro, Lucia and Reis, Marta and Symons, Katrien and Tomaszewska, Paulina and Vicario-Molina, Isabel and Zygadlo, Andrzej}, title = {Prevalence and correlates of young people's sexual aggression perpetration and victimisation in 10 European countries: a multi-level analysis}, series = {Culture, health \& sexuality : a journal for research, intervention and care}, volume = {17}, journal = {Culture, health \& sexuality : a journal for research, intervention and care}, number = {6}, publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {1369-1058}, doi = {10.1080/13691058.2014.989265}, pages = {682 -- 699}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Data are presented on young people's sexual victimisation and perpetration from 10 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain) using a shared measurement tool (N = 3480 participants, aged between 18 and 27 years). Between 19.7 and 52.2\% of female and between 10.1 and 55.8\% of male respondents reported having experienced at least one incident of sexual victimisation since the age of consent. In two countries, victimisation rates were significantly higher for men than for women. Between 5.5 and 48.7\% of male and 2.6 and 14.8\% of female participants reported having engaged in a least one act of sexual aggression perpetration, with higher rates for men than for women in all countries. Victimisation rates correlated negatively with sexual assertiveness and positively with alcohol use in sexual encounters. Perpetration rates correlated positively with attitudes condoning physical dating violence and with alcohol use in men, and negatively with sexual assertiveness in women. At the country level, lower gender equality in economic power and in the work domain was related to higher male perpetration rates. Lower gender equality in political power and higher sexual assertiveness in women relative to men were linked to higher male victimisation rates.}, language = {en} } @article{Krahe2014, author = {Krah{\´e}, Barbara}, title = {Predicting sexual aggression in male college students in Brazil}, series = {Psychology of men \& masculinity}, volume = {15}, journal = {Psychology of men \& masculinity}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Psychological Association}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1524-9220}, doi = {10.1037/a0032789}, pages = {152 -- 162}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The study is the first to provide data on risk factors for sexual aggression in male college students in Brazil. A total of N = 286 participants took part in the study, of whom a subsample of n = 120 participated in two measurements separated by a 6-month interval. Cognitive (i.e., risky sexual scripts, normative beliefs), behavioral (i.e., pornography use, sexual behavior patterns), and biographical (i.e., childhood abuse) risk factors were linked to sexual aggression both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, with the path models for the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses demonstrating good fit with the data consistent with the hypotheses. The extent to which risk factors for sexual aggression (alcohol consumption, casual sex, and ambiguous communication) were included and normatively accepted in participants' cognitive scripts for consensual sex was linked to sexual aggression through risky sexual behavior. Risky sexual behavior was further predicted by childhood abuse, and pornography use was linked to sexual aggression via risky sexual scripts. The findings contribute evidence from Brazil to the international database on risk factors for sexual aggression in male college students.}, language = {en} }