The Relationship Between Heteronormative Beliefs and Verbal Sexual Coercion in College Students

Abstract

Heteronormative standards for sex and romance situate men and women in a hierarchical relationship that characterizes masculinity as active and persistent and femininity as passive and responsive to male sexuality. Individuals who endorse heteronormative beliefs, such as the belief that men should dominate women sexually or that men are always ready for sex, may therefore be more approving of and experienced with behaviors that involve one partner exerting sexual pressure on the other. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the endorsement of heteronormative beliefs and men's and women's approval of and experience with verbal sexual coercion (both as a perpetrator and as a victim). We first established a gender-neutral higher-order construct representing heteronormative beliefs consisting of multiple measures of gender norms for sexuality and relationships in a sample of 555 heterosexual college students (292 women, 263 men) primarily of Hispanic origin. We next found that endorsement of heteronormative beliefs was positively correlated with personal acceptance of verbal sexual coercion strategies and personal experience as the victim and perpetrator of verbal sexual coercion for both men and women. While men reported more overall support for heteronormative beliefs and more experience as a victim and perpetrator of verbal sexual coercion, there were minimal gender differences in how heteronormative beliefs related to verbal sexual coercion variables. The positive association found between heteronormative beliefs and sexual coercion in young men's and women's relationships represents an important step towards better understanding the antecedents and consequences of intimate partner violence.

Longitudinal Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization in Latino Emerging Adults

“…Studies on the relationship between gender role attitudes and intimate partner violence among Latinos have been limited (Eaton and Matamala 2014;Reed et al 2011;Santana et al 2006). Nonetheless, extant research has consistently found a link between traditional gender role attitudes and intimate partner violence perpetration, yet studies have been limited to cross-sectional examinations.…”

A proposal of a measure of societal sexual double standard

“…The assessment of the prevalence of SDS is relevant for understanding sexual health, which is related to the ability to freely enjoy and express sexuality [3]. In accordance with this , SDS has been associated with several sexual related issues, such as sexual victimization [4,5], sexual assaults [4,6,7], higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections [8,9], and lower sexual satisfaction [10,11]. There are data that support the presence of SDS in Spanish society [12,13], as well as the existence of differential traditional sexual schemes for men and women, for example, in the field of sexual pleasure [14] or sexual satisfaction [15].…”

The Influence of Parental Aggression and Cultural Gender Role Beliefs on Hispanic College Women's Experiences with Psychological Aggression

“…Some researchers suggest that women use this form of IPV because it does not require significant physical strength and may therefore be a relatively easy, yet effective, conflict tactic for them to carry out (Bjorkqvist, 1994). Others note that society has shifted such that women are increasingly becoming more violent across all forms of aggression (Eaton & Matamala, 2014;Stephens & Eaton, 2014). Given the significant increase in women's use of these aggressive tactics, there is a need for more research like this to examine what factors are influencing their increased acceptability of the perpetration of psychological aggression.…”

“…When considering Hispanic women of college age, prior research supports the assertion that parental values and behaviors have a significant influence on their daughters' intimate relationship conflict tactics (Brownridge, 2002;Eaton & Matamala, 2014;Fitzpatrick, et al, 2004). This is in part due to the importance given to familismo, a cultural framework of family importance and "connectiveness," that has been identified as a core value in Hispanic families.…”

“…These gender role specific values are important to examine as researchers have found that they can function as a risk factor for aggression in intimate relationships and may lead males to perpetrate both physical and psychological aggression in their intimate relationships, and may lead females to report higher levels of victimization (Brownridge, 2002;Eaton & Matamala, 2014;Fitzpatrick et al, 2004;Stith & Farley, 1993). These findings are particularly relevant when considering Hispanic populations as gender frameworks in this culture have traditionally been characterized via concepts of machismo and marianisimo.…”