Are the Predictors of Sexual Violence the Same as Those of Nonsexual Violence? A Gender Analysis

Abstract

Introduction Violence manifests itself in such multifarious ways as sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. What has hitherto eluded the medical community, however, is whether sexual and nonsexual abuse share the same predictors. Aim Drawing upon a representative sample of married men and women in the Iranian capital, Tehran, we aimed to determine: (i) the overlap between sexual abuse and physical and psychological violence, and (ii) the predictors that sexual violence victimization share with physical and psychological violence victimization. Main Outcome Measures Victimization through any type of sexual coercion by the husband in the context of the current marital relationship, as determined via the conflict tactic scales-revised (CTS-2). Methods In a cross-sectional survey in Tehran in 2007, 460 married Iranian men and women were selected via a multicluster sampling method from four different randomized regions. Independent variables comprised sociodemographic characteristics, subscores of psychological, and personality characteristics known to be allied with intimate abuse (personal and relationship profile), and dichotomus data on victimization history through all types of violence by the spouse including psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion (CTS-2). Results In both genders, the experience of physical or psychological violence increased the likelihood of sexual violence victimization. In both genders, higher conflict was a predictor of sexual and psychological violence victimization. In addition, the common predictors of sexual and physical violence victimization were low self-control and high violent socialization in the men and women, respectively. Conclusions Sexual violence victimization shares some factors with the victimization of nonsexual types of marital abuse, but this seems to be partially gender dependent.

Predicting non-familial major physical violent crime perpetration in the US Army from administrative data

“…Indeed, the number of soldiers with founded non-familial major physical violence was smaller during the years of this study (n=5,771) than the number with familial physical violence (15,154), although non-familial sexual violent crime (6,198) was much more common than familial sexual violent crime (718). However, as noted in the introduction, previous research suggests that the predictors of these different types of violent crime vary (Elbogen et al , 2010a, Marshall et al , 2005, Mohammadkhani et al , 2009, Sullivan and Elbogen, 2014), leading us to focus on each of them separately. While the current report presents the results of our model-building efforts to predict non-familial major physical violence, separate reports will have the results of attempts to build comparable models for the other types of violence.…”

“…The current report presents the results of an attempt to develop a comparable model for violent crime perpetration among U.S. Army soldiers. We focus on non-familial physical violent crimes, excluding family violence and sexual violence , based on evidence that their predictors are different from the predictors of non-familial physical violence (Elbogen et al , 2010a, Marshall et al , 2005, Mohammadkhani et al , 2009, Sullivan and Elbogen, 2014). …”

The Invisible Suffering: Sexual Coercion, Interpersonal Violence, and Mental Health - A Cross-Sectional Study among University Students in South-Western Uganda

“…Sexual coercion is a public health challenge with numerous consequences [1], [2] and predisposing factors [3]. Experiences of sexual coercion tend to be under-reported, although the consequences for its victims remain [4].…”

Correlates of Intimate Partner Physical Violence Among Young Reproductive Age Women in Mysore, India

“…15 Findings are mixed about whether one type of violence precedes or predicts the other. Mohammadkhani et al, 16 for instance, found that the experience of physical or psychological violence increased the likelihood of sexual violence victimization. Trickett et al, 17 on the other hand, found that sexual abuse predicted later victimization with physical or further sexual violence.…”