Researchers rarely consider if different theoretical models are needed to understand the etiology of men’s sexual aggression against women in steady as compared to casual relationships. A modified confluence model was evaluated with survey data from 556 young, single men. Hostile masculinity was the only assessed risk factor that had a direct relationship to sexual aggression against steady and casual partners. Impersonal sex and friends’ approval of forced sex were directly related to sexual aggression against casual partners; whereas, heavy alcohol consumption was directly related to sexual aggression against steady partners. Psychopathy-related personality traits were indirectly related to both types of sexual aggression. The model explained a moderate amount of variance in casual date perpetration, but only a small amount of variance in steady date perpetration. Thus, more research and theory is needed to understand violence in this type of relationship.

Objective: Men's self-reported rates of sexual aggression against women are high, although there is considerable variability across studies. The Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) is the most commonly used self-report measure; however, the use of multiple versions with somewhat different questions and formats may affect participants' responses. The goal of this study was to compare the findings from three different versions of the SES in terms of prevalence, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Method: Men ages 18-35 (N = 938) were recruited through MTurk for a study of men's dating and sexual experiences with women. The survey included measures of demographics; convergent and discriminant validity indicators; and one randomly assigned version of the SES. Results: Participants who completed the 45item Abbey, Parkhill, and Koss (Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 2005, 364-373) tactics-first version of the SES reported overall higher rates of sexual assault perpetration (43.4%) as compared to those who completed the 35-item Koss et al. (Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 2007, 357-370) acts-first version (27.9%) and the 16-item Abbey, Jacques-Tiura, and LeBreton (Aggressive Behavior, 37, 2011, 450-464) full sentence version (31.1%). Self-reported rates of completed rape perpetration did not significantly differ between versions (9.7%-14.1%). Correlations between the number of sexually aggressive acts which participants endorsed with common risk factors and discriminant validity indicators were similar for all three versions. Conclusions: The consistency in rates of self-reported completed rape across these disparate measures is noteworthy. Further qualitative and quantitative research is needed to evaluate how question phrasing affects reports of verbal coercion and if additional strategies should be included in future measures.

Little is known about the attributes of men who sexually assault drinking women as compared with men who sexually assault sober women and nonperpetrators. Findings from a cross-sectional survey of 548 men and a laboratory computer-simulated date completed by a subset ( n = 87) support the hypothesis that both groups of perpetrators would share some common risk factors and differ regarding alcohol beliefs and consumption. Men who had previously assaulted a drinking woman gave their simulated date more alcohol to drink and perceived her as being more disinhibited. These findings demonstrate the power of alcohol expectancies and stereotypes about drinking women.

These findings provide insight into the processes by which men respond aggressively to women's refusals, and highlight the need for training that encourages benevolent attributions and nonviolent strategies to deal with sexual rejection.

BackgroundAlcohol administration studies are crucial because causal questions about alcohol's role in human behavior can only be answered through experimental research that randomly assigns participants to drink conditions. The primary goal of this review was to catalogue the characteristics of experimental analogues used in alcohol administration research to assess men's sexual aggression proclivity and evaluate the extent to which they represent the scope of alcohol‐involved sexual aggression. Although this review focuses on sexual aggression analogues, the identified methodological issues are relevant to a wide range of alcohol administration studies.MethodsOnline databases were searched for published studies that randomly assigned participants to drink conditions and assessed participants' sexual aggression proclivity with an experimental analogue. Characteristics of the analogues were coded by both authors.ResultsSeventeen studies were identified that used 12 unique experimental analogues. All of the analogues depicted a completed or potential sexual assault in an apartment between a male perpetrator and female victim who did not know each other well. This information was presented in written (n = 7), audio (n = 1), video (n = 3), or virtual simulation (n = 1) format. Sexual aggression proclivity was measured through participants' self‐reports (n = 10) and behavioral responses (n = 2). Perpetrators primarily used physical force which the woman verbally and physically resisted. Only one analogue depicted behavioral signs of the woman's alcohol impairment; none included signs of the man's alcohol impairment.ConclusionsThese analogues were designed to address important theoretical questions; however, they do not represent the full range of alcohol‐involved sexual assaults. This hampers the development of evidence‐based prevention and treatment programs because we do not know whether these findings generalize to other types of sexual assaults (e.g., with incapacitated victims, within serious relationships, with sexual and other gender minorities). Funding agencies need to support more alcohol administration research in order to provide a strong foundation for the development of effective interventions.