The Role of Interpersonal Sexual Objectification in Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence From Perspectives of Perceivers and Targets

Abstract

Sexual objectification is a subtle manifestation of sexist discrimination and violence against women that involves seeing and treating women as sex objects of male sexual desire. The primary aim of this research was to connect sexual objectification experiences with heterosexual intimate partner violence. This set of studies examined the impact of sexual objectification on intimate partner violence for both the female victim (Study 1) and the male perpetrator (Study 2). Female (Study 1) and male (Study 2) participants were asked to rate the extent they are victims or perpetrators of sexual objectification experiences and intimate partner violence. Moreover, women’s self-silencing and men’s ascriptions of humanity and empathy (through empathic concern and perspective taking) toward their partner was assessed. The results of the first study (including 154 heterosexual women) showed that general sexual objectification victimization indirectly leads to higher psychological and physical violence through the internalization of self-silence schemas. The second study (including 165 heterosexual men) demonstrated a link between general sexual objectification perpetration and psychological and physical intimate partner violence. Moreover, the relation between men’s perpetration of objectification and intimate partner violence was mediated by ascriptions of humanity and empathic concern toward their female partner (but not through perspective taking toward her). Results of both studies demonstrate the effect of sexual objectification (as target or perpetrator) on global intimate partner violence and explain the different psychological mechanisms through which it takes place depending on the gendered perspective. Theoretical implications and practical considerations for interventions on intimate partner violence are discussed.

Stop looking at me! associations between men's partner‐objectification and women's self‐objectification, body shame and life satisfaction in romantic relationships

“…However, manifestations of self‐objectification are not limited to the intrapersonal domain but also influence interpersonal behaviours (e.g., Saguy, Quinn, Dovidio, & Pratto, 2010). For example, self‐objectification is associated with less free will in women (Baldissarri et al, 2019) and less communication of their desires and needs (Sáez, Riemer, Brock, & Gervais, 2020), which may be particularly relevant in the domain of romantic relationships. Thus, future work should consider further correlates of self‐objectification to provide a better understanding of the sexual objectification process in romantic relationships.…”

“Everyone Saw Me Differently Like It Was My Fault or I Wanted It”: Acquaintance Stalking Victim Experiences of Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Autonomy

“…Furthermore, although all the acquaintance stalking victims in the current study experienced significant sexual harassment from the stalker, women who were sexually assaulted experienced even more sexual harassment—particularly sexually coercive and harmful behaviors such as threats of harm (e.g., threats or spreading sexually based rumors, posting sexually explicit pictures, videos, information) and retaliation if victims did not act the way the stalker wanted or expected. Sexual harassment has been associated with sexual assault as well as with other gender-based violence (e.g., partner abuse, sexual assault) (Gervais & Eagan, 2017; Ramsey & Hoyt, 2015; Sáez et al, 2022). Men who engage in sexual harassment are more likely to engage in sexual assault and partner abuse, in part, because sexual harassment and objectification is on a spectrum of gender-based violence and it also can serve to dehumanize victims (Ramsey & Hoyt, 2015; Sáez et al, 2022).…”

The development and psychometric evaluation of the Objectification Perpetration Scale.

“…Additionally, men’s objectification of their romantic partner (Doran & Price, 2014; Wright & Tokunaga, 2016; Zurbriggen et al, 2011) and women more generally (Sáez et al, 2019), diminishes men’s relationship satisfaction. Together, objectification perpetration and perceptions of women as less than human sets the foundation for violence; men who objectify women are more likely to hold positive attitudes toward violence against women (Wright & Tokunaga, 2016), perpetrate sexual aggression (Franz et al, 2018; Gervais et al, 2014; Mikorski & Szymanski, 2017; Sáez et al, 2019), use sexual coercion (Ramsey & Hoyt, 2015), and perpetrate intimate partner violence (Jonnson et al, 2018; Sáez et al, 2020). Despite these consequences, a comprehensive understanding of when and why men objectify women remains underdeveloped.…”