Acute alcohol intoxication, state anger, and sexual assault perpetration: The role of state emotion regulation.

Abstract

Objective: Alcohol-involved sexual assault remains a pervasive problem, with extensive individual-and societal-level costs. Emotion regulation (ER), the process through which an individual modulates emotional states, remains an understudied predictor of sexual assault perpetration, with the past research focusing on general ER tendencies (e.g., trait ER) as predictors of sexual assault perpetration. This study sought to examine the associations between state ER on sexual assault perpetration in the context of state anger and acute alcohol intoxication. Method: Single, male social drinkers aged 21-30 with a history of sexual risktaking (N = 92) participated in an alcohol administration paradigm and were randomly assigned to an alcohol condition [sober control vs. intoxicated (BrAC = .10%)]. Intoxicated and sober participants completed a sexual assault analogue that assessed state anger, state ER, and sexual assault perpetration intentions against a hypothetical female partner. Results: Path analysis demonstrated interactive effects of state ER and state anger on sexual assault perpetration intentions. Relative to men with low and moderate levels of anger, state ER was associated with lower intentions to perpetrate sexual assault for men with high levels of anger. Alcohol intoxication did not directly predict state ER, state anger, or sexual assault perpetration intentions. Conclusions: The results suggested that state ER may be protective against sexual assault perpetration for men who experience anger in response to a partner's expression of nonconsent. Because replication is necessary, the results carry tentative implications for state ER as an intervention target for sexual assault prevention programming.

Power-Related Emotions, Alcohol Intoxication, and Nonconsensual Sex Intentions: The Role of Fear of Intimacy

“…Data from this study were collected as part of a larger alcohol administration study that investigated multiple factors influencing men’s alcohol-involved sexual aggression. Other analyses drawing from this data set are reported elsewhere (Davis et al, 2021; Neilson et al, 2021).…”

“…The scenario described a sexual encounter between the participant and a hypothetical woman (“Michelle”) with whom the participant previously had intercourse and who is depicted as intoxicated. After some consensual sexual activity (e.g., kissing, fondling), Michelle gives an indirect, nonverbal cue of nonconsent (i.e., moving the protagonist’s hand away from her genitals) followed by two direct, verbal cues of non-consent (i.e., “I don’t want to have sex tonight”) and pushing the protagonist away, after which the protagonist is depicted as displaying some physical force toward Michelle and the scenario ends (see Neilson et al, 2021) for detailed description of scenario). Participants rated their current power-related emotions following Michelle’s second direct non-consent cue and their nonconsensual sex intentions following the end of the scenario.…”

“…Data Planning and Transparency. The current investigation involves a secondary research question of the original study, which examined emotions and emotion regulation on nonconsensual sex intentions (Neilson et al, 2021). While not the primary research aim, the current investigation of the interaction of fear of intimacy and alcohol condition was prespecified as a means of assessing the association between fear of intimacy and alcohol intoxication on nonconsensual sex intentions via sexual assaultrelated emotions.…”

“…Finally, sexual assault perpetration interventions have primarily focused on attitudes conducive to sexual assault, such as perceived peer acceptance, an intervention focused on emotions, such as power-related emotions, are comparatively rare (Orchowski et al, 2020). Ongoing data support the use of emotion regulation as a strategy to modulate proximal emotions contributing to sexual assault perpetration (Davis et al, 2020;(Neilson et al, 2021). More research in the efficacy of emotion regulation to mitigate sexual assault-related emotions is needed.…”

Profiles of emotion regulation strategies and intentions to perpetrate sexual assault.

“…Accordingly, research indicates two primary emotional pathways through which men with ER difficulties may be more likely to perpetrate sexual assault: anger and sexual arousal. Men with ER difficulties may experience anger when their sexual advances toward their partner are rejected and lash out by perpetrating sexual assault as a result (Davis et al, 2020; Neilson et al, 2022). Similarly, highly sexually aroused men with ER difficulties are predisposed to perpetrate sexual assault, especially compared to nonaroused men, and men with low ER difficulties (Craig et al, 2022).…”