Assessing Women's Responses to Sexual Threat: Validity of a Virtual Role-Play Procedure

Reducing Sexual Victimization Among Adolescent Girls: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of My Voice, My Choice

“…Repeated practice of assertive resistance in simulated high-risk situations might be especially beneficial for girls and women who have suffered previous sexual victimization, because they are less likely than nonvictims to respond to sexually coercive behavior with assertive resistance (e.g., Gidycz, Van Wynsberghe, & Edwards, 2008;Jouriles et al, 2011;Katz, May, Sorenson, & DelTosta, 2010). One explanation for this finding is that previously victimized women are at greater risk for trauma symptoms and/ or physiological arousal when faced with sexual coercion, which can lead them to feel overwhelmed and unable to respond (e.g., Fortier et al, 2009;Messman-Moore, Walsh, & DiLillo, 2010).…”

“…In this research, coercive situations that sometimes occur between teens (e.g., sitting next to an adolescent boy in his bedroom when he is trying to convince the participant to kiss him) are simulated in the IVE, so that the participant experiences herself as "in" the coercive situation. IVEs create a more realistic and immersive "sexually coercive" situation that elicits greater negative emotion than face-to-face role plays (Jouriles et al, , 2011 and have been used successfully in research on sexual coercion and physical violence (e.g., Jouriles, Simpson Rowe, McDonald, & Kleinsasser, 2014;Slater et al, 2013).…”

Using Experimental Paradigms to Examine Alcohol’s Role in Men’s Sexual Aggression

“…Involvement in a virtual environment is heightened by a variety of factors including the use of multiple sensory experiences, by the relevance of the virtual environment to participants (achieved through a careful literature review and pilot testing), and by behavioral realism (achieved by the use of female agents that make eye contact, talk, have voice and mouth synchronization, realistic head movements, and posture shifts). Jouriles, Rowe, McDonald, Platt, and Gomez (2011) developed a virtual reality simulation that examines women’s recognition and response to a sexual aggressor; however, we are not aware of any virtual reality simulations that assess men’s likelihood of being sexually aggressive.…”

Validating a Virtual Environment for Sexual Assault Victims

“…To date, no research has been done on a VR-based treatment designed specifically for victims of sexual assault, although some researchers have tested this tool within the context of prevention. Indeed, studies have addressed the possibility of using VEs for role-playing with female students to help them practice certain skills in situations of sexual coercion (Jouriles et al, 2009;Jouriles, Rowe, McDonald, Platt, & Gomez, 2011). They showed that participants who role-played in the VE reported more negative feelings and felt more involved than those who played out the same scenario with an actor (Jouriles et al, 2009(Jouriles et al, , 2011.…”

“…Indeed, studies have addressed the possibility of using VEs for role-playing with female students to help them practice certain skills in situations of sexual coercion (Jouriles et al, 2009;Jouriles, Rowe, McDonald, Platt, & Gomez, 2011). They showed that participants who role-played in the VE reported more negative feelings and felt more involved than those who played out the same scenario with an actor (Jouriles et al, 2009(Jouriles et al, , 2011. Although these studies did not address the treatment of PTSD in victims of sexual abuse, they do show that the interaction with a virtual aggressor is realistic enough to trigger an emotional response, which points to therapeutic potential.…”