Women’s Risk Perception and Responses to Intimate Partner Sexual Coercion: The Role of Type of Tactic, Previous Experience, and Myths Acceptance

Sexual coercion is among the subtlest forms of sexual violence in an intimate relationship and sometimes goes unnoticed by victims. The present study analyzed factors that potentially mitigate women’s negative perceptions of intimate partner sexual coercion (IPSC). A total of 427 women completed an online survey, in which they were shown vignettes illustrating a growing risk of sexual coercion according to the perpetrators’ use of different coercive tactics. Participants replied to questions that reflected their risk perception, their perceptions of perpetrator behavior, and the probability of their leaving the relationship. The survey also queried their previous IPSC experience, and their degree of acceptance of sexual aggression myths. According to the results, women exposed to positive (vs. negative) verbal sexual coercion (VSC) condition decided to leave the abusive situation later (risk response), presented a longer time lag between the moment they recognized the risk and the moment they responded to it, perceived the perpetrator’s behavior as more acceptable and excusable, and were less likely to leave the relationship. Finally, greater myth acceptance and previous IPSC experience predicted a lower probability of leaving the relationship, due to delayed risk responses and to perceiving the perpetrator’s behavior as more acceptable and excusable. This was true regardless of the type of coercive tactic used by the perpetrator. The results highlight the need to consider the type of coercive tactic, previous experience, and myths acceptance as risk factors that may impede a woman to adequately perceive and respond to an intimate partner’s sexual violence.This work was supported by a grant from the Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional - Gobierno de España to the first author (Ref. FPU14–02905), and the financing provided by the Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital – Gobierno de España (Ref. PSI2017–84703–R; Ref. PID2020–114464RB–I00 [MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE])

¿Qué tácticas de violencia sexual predicen el abandono de la relación? El papel de la dependencia hacia la pareja

This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education to the first author (Ref. FPU14-02905) and the funding provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (Ref.PSI2017-84703-R; Ref. PSI-2017-83966-R -MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE).Intimate partner sexual violence has countless consequences for women suffering it. This research analyse the effect of the type of sexual coercion tactic and partner dependence on both the attribution of responsibility and the probability of leaving a relationship. In Study 1, six scenarios for different sexual tactics were presented (coaxing, coercion, and aggression) to 5 experts in order to select those with better evidence of content validity regarding the construct evaluated. In Study 2, the three selected scenarios were presented to 304 Spanish participants from the general population, analysing the effect of the type of tactic and dependence on attributed responsibility and the probability of leaving a relationship. Results showed that in the sexual aggression scenario, participants assigned the highest responsibility to the aggressor and showed the strongest likelihood of leaving the relationship. Further, results revealed that in the coaxing scenario, dependence had an indirect effect on the probability of leaving the relationship through a lower responsibility attributed to the aggressor. As a conclusion, this study emphasises the importance of the sexual tactic used by aggressors in individuals’ perception about sexual coercion, contributing to increasing the visibility of this unacceptable action, especially in its more subtle and normalised form.La violencia sexual en las relaciones de pareja tiene innumerables consecuencias para las mujeres que la sufren. Esta investigación analiza el efecto del tipo de táctica de coerción sexual y la dependencia de la pareja en la atribución de responsabilidad y la probabilidad de dejar la relación. En el Estudio 1 se presentaron seis escenarios sobre diferentes tácticas sexuales (persuasión, coerción y agresión) a 5 expertos con la finalidad de seleccionar a aquellos que mostraran una mayor validez de contenido con respecto al constructo evaluado. En el Estudio 2, 304 participantes leyeron los tres escenarios seleccionados y se analizó el efecto del tipo de táctica y la dependencia en la responsabilidad atribuida y en la probabilidad de dejar la relación. Los resultados mostraron que los participantes responsabilizaban más al agresor y dejarían con más probabilidad la relación en la condición de agresión sexual que en la condición de coerción sexual o persuasión sexual. Además, los resultados revelan que en el escenario más sutil (persuasión) la dependencia tiene un efecto indirecto sobre probabilidad de dejar la relación a través de una menor responsabilidad atribuida al agresor. Como conclusión, esta investigación enfatiza la importancia que tiene la táctica sexual utilizada por el agresor en la percepción de la coerción sexual, contribuyendo a aumentar la visibilidad de este acto inaceptable, especialmente en su forma más sutil y normalizada.Spanish Government FPU14-02905Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness PSI-2017-83966-R PSI2017-84703-

College Women’s Experience of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Responses to a Sexual Assault Vignette

Sexual aggression is one of the most humiliating forms of gender-based violence and may profoundly affect victims’ physical, mental, and sexual health. This research analyzed the role of previous experiences of sexual coercion by an intimate partner on women’s behavioral, cognitive, and emotional responses to a video clip showing a sexual assault involving a couple. Spanish college women with (N = 63) and without (N = 77) experience of sexual coercion indicated the point at which they would leave the situation (response latency), the probability of terminating the relationship if they were the woman in the video, attributions of responsibility to victim and perpetrator, and their emotional state. Victims were less likely to say they would terminate the relationship and reported more negative emotions than did nonvictims, but no differences were found on the response latency and attribution measures. Overall, the results suggest that previous sexual coercion may be related to women’s behavioral and emotional responses to situations involving the threat of sexual victimization

Adaptation of the Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale (ARCS) to the Spanish Population

Background: The different conflict resolution strategies that couples use are crucial in preserving or ending their relationships. Despite the importance of these strategies, no instrument for measuring them has been adequately adapted to Spanish culture. The goal of this study is to adapt the Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale to Spanish culture, filling this gap by providing a rigorous instrument to evaluate the construct. Method: A total of 489 participants from the general population responded to the instrument after adaptation. The scale’s psychometric properties were then evaluated from a classical perspective. Results: The indexes of fit from confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fi t to the four-factor structure proposed by the authors of the original scale: voice, loyalty, exit, and neglect. The reliability of these dimensions was similar to that obtained in the original version. Evidence of validity relative to other variables indicated good convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale is a reliable instrument with sufficient valid evidence to provide accurate measurement of conflict resolution strategies in couple relationships.Antecedentes: las diferentes estrategias de resolución de conflictos en la pareja son un aspecto fundamental en el mantenimiento o la ruptura de las relaciones. A pesar de su importancia, no existe un instrumento de medida adecuadamente adaptado a la cultura española. El objetivo de este estudio es realizar la adaptación al español de la Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale (ARCS) con la finalidad de suplir dicha carencia y así contar con un instrumento adecuado para evaluar dicho constructo. Método: 489 participantes de población general respondieron al instrumento tras su adaptación. A continuación se evaluaron las propiedades psicométricas de la escala desde la perspectiva clásica. Resultados: los índices de ajuste del análisis factorial confirmatorio indicaron un buen ajuste a la estructura tetrafactorial propuesta por los autores de la escala original: expresión, lealtad, huida y negligencia. La fiabilidad de dichas dimensiones fue similar a la obtenida en la versión original. Las evidencias de validez en relación con otras variables indicaron una adecuada validez tanto convergente como discriminante. Conclusiones: la versión española de la Accommodation among Romantic Couples Scale es un instrumento fiable y con suficientes evidencias de validez para medir las estrategias de resolución de conflictos en la pareja de un modo adecuado.This research was made possible thanks to the financing provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness [Ref.PSI-2017-83966-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/ UE)], as well as by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education (Ref.FPU14/02905)

Assessing Police Attitudes Toward Intervention in Gender Violence: the Role of Training, Perceived Severity, and Myths About Intimate Partner Violence Against Women

Purpose Even though evidence has broadly confirmed that public attitudes toward intervention shape the decision-making process when dealing with IPVAW events, rather less is known about what determines the police decision-making process. Research support that police attitudes toward intervention in IPVAW explain differences when police officers response to IPVAW events. This research analyzes the combined role of IPVAW myths, perceived severity, and IPVAW training in reactive (tolerance for IPVAW and minimal police involvement) and proactive (important police task and pro-arrest) police attitudes toward intervention in gender violence. Methods Drawing from snowball sampling, we collected responses of 211 Spanish police officers via online subject-recruitment platform. Results The main findings of our study confirmed that IPVAW myths lead to less proactive attitudes toward intervention both directly and through a reduction in the perceived severity of IPVAW. Importantly, we found a moderating role of IPVAW training, suggesting that the endorsement of IPVAW myths leads to less proactive responses, but only for untrained police officers. Conclusions Our findings suggest the importance of IPVAW training on police proactive attitudes toward intervention via IPVAW myths instead of perceived severity. Police training programs to both novice and experienced officers should be focused on confronting IPVAW myths in order to improve police perception, evaluation and involvement in gender violence events.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature

El Sexting no siempre es deseado: consecuencias sobre la satisfacción y el papel de la coerción sexual y la victimización sexual en línea

The understanding of sexting as a new form of interpersonal communication is increasing; however, little is known about whether the incidence, correlates, and outcomes of sexting vary depending on whether such behavior is done willingly or not. In this non-experimental study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of sexting among 310 Spanish young adults, who completed an online survey re-garding their previous experiences of wanted and unwanted sexting behav-iors, their sexual coercion and online sexual victimization experiences, and their levels of sexual and life satisfaction. The results showed that more than half and one third of the sample had been involved in wanted and unwanted sexting behaviors, respectively. Additionally, sexual coercion and online sexual victimization predicted a higher probability of engaging in unwanted sexual behaviors and, with that, a decrease of life satisfaction. Finally, having experienced more instances of sexual coercion was associated with lower life satisfaction by increasing the likelihood of suffering online sexual victimization experiences and engaging in additional unwanted sexting behaviors. Our findings show the importance of discerning between wanted and unwanted sexting and how doing so differently conditions the predictors and consequences of this phenomena.La comprensión del sexting como una nueva forma de comunicación interpersonal es cada vez mayor; sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre si la incidencia, correlatos y resultados del sexting varían en función de si se realiza de forma voluntaria o no. En este estudio no experimental, nos proponemos investigar la prevalencia, los predictores y las consecuencias del sexting entre 310 jóvenes españoles, que completaron una encuesta online sobre sus experiencias previas de sexting deseado y no deseado, coerción sexual y victimización sexual online, así como sus niveles de satisfacción sexual y vital. Los resultados mostraron que la mitad y un tercio de la muestra habían estado involucrados en comportamientos de sexting deseados y no deseados, respectivamente. Además, la coerción sexual y la victimización sexual online predijeron una mayor probabilidad de participar en conductas sexuales no deseadas y, con ello, una disminución de la satisfacción vital. Por último, haber experimentado mayor coerción sexual se asoció con menor satisfacción vital al aumentar la probabilidad de sufrir victimización sexual online y de participar en conductas adicionales de sexting no deseado. Nuestros hallazgos muestran la importancia de discernir entre el sexting deseado y el no deseado y cómo el hacerlo de forma diferente condiciona los predictores y las consecuencias de este fenómeno

The Detrimental Effect of Sexual Objectification on Targets’ and Perpetrators’ Sexual Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Sexual Coercion

Sexual objectification is a variable to consider for understanding the sexual violence that takes place into intimate context. The set of studies presented here aims to connect sexual objectification phenomena with sexual coercion and explore the consequences that both have on sexual satisfaction. Two studies examined the association between sexual objectification and sexual satisfaction for both views: female target (Study 1) and male perpetrator (Study 2) perspectives. The results of the first study (n = 138 heterosexual women) demonstrated that perceiving partner objectification (but not reporting general sexual objectification victimization) is indirectly linked to a lower sexual satisfaction because of lower rejection and higher sexual coercion rates. The second study (n = 136 heterosexual men) showed the indirect effect of partner objectification and general sexual objectification perpetration on sexual satisfaction after sexual coercion perpetration. Results of both studies demonstrated the negative consequences that sexual objectification has on sexual satisfaction for both male perpetrators and female targets.This research was made possible, thanks to the financing provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness for the R&D project “New forms of Gender Violence: Risks and protective factors for psychosocial wellbeing [PSI2017-84703-R (MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE)].

Atribución de responsabilidad ante la violencia sexual: Efecto del tipo de táctica, el género y el sexismo benévolo

La violencia sexual es un problema actual sobre el que se necesita estudio empírico, pues afecta a más del 30 % de las mujeres en sus relaciones con los hombres. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido comprobar el modo en el que el tipo de táctica utilizada para conseguir sexo, el género y el sexismo benévolo influyen en la responsabilidad que se le atribuye al agresor. Utilizando una muestra de 305 participantes, se presenta un escenario sexual en el contexto de una relación de pareja, en el que se manipula el tipo de táctica utilizada para tener sexo (neutra, persuasión o coerción sexual). Los resultados indican que las personas responsabilizan más al agresor cuando la táctica utilizada es persuasión o coerción sexual, que cuando se utilizan tácticas no violentas (neutra). Además, se comprueba que los hombres con alto sexismo benévolo culpan menos al agresor solamente cuando éste utiliza tácticas más sutiles de violencia sexual (persuasión sexual), mientras que este efecto no ocurre en las mujeres. Estos resultados permiten proporcionar un marco teórico sobre el que incidir para establecer los límites de los comportamientos que se consideran aceptables o no en una relación, contribuyendo a su detección y rechazo, así como para considerar su influencia en la toma de decisión del ámbito jurídico en los casos de violencia de género.Sexual violence is a current problem that requires empirical study, since it affects more than 30 % of women in their relationships with men. The aim of the research has been to verify the way in which the type of tactics used to obtain sex, along with gender and benevolent sexism can have an impact on the responsibility attributed to the aggressor. Using a sample of 305 participants, a sexual scenario is presented in a relationship context where the type of tactic used to have sex (neutral, sexual coaxing, or sexual coercion) is manipulated. The results indicate that people attribute more responsibility to the aggressor when the tactic used is sexual coaxing or sexual coercion than when using non-violent (neutral) tactics. In addition, men with high benevolent sexism blame the aggressor less, but only when the subtlest tactics of sexual violence (sexual coaxing) are used, whereas this effect does not occur in women. These results provide a theoretical framework for establishing the limits of the behaviours that are considered acceptable (or not) in a relationship, contributing to their detection and having implications for legal decision-making in cases of gender violence.Esta investigación fue financiada por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España, con el proyecto "Análisis psicosocial del acoso sexual: nuevas formas y nuevos contextos" (Ref. PSI2014-59200-R), así como por el Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España, con una beca de doctorado (FPU12/02905) para la primera autora de este artícul

Connecting perceived economic threat and prosocial tendencies: The explanatory role of empathic concern

Recent research suggests that perceived economic threat constitutes a valid predictor of people’s attitudes and behaviors. While accumulated empirical evidence has mostly underlined the deleterious psychological effects (e.g., reduced psychological well-being) of perceived economic threat in times of economic strain, we postulate that individuals experiencing higher economic threat linked to the Spanish economic crisis are more prone to engage in other-beneficial prosocial behavior. Across two independently collected community samples, we tested this theoretical formulation and examined the potential mediating roles of empathic concern (Studies 1 & 2) and identification (Study 2). Study 1 (N = 306) revealed that participants who descended in the social scale due to the negative national economic context were engaged in a larger number of helping behaviors over the last three months compared to participants who did not descend the social ladder—independently of several sociodemographic and ideological factors. Moreover, our data indicated these effects were driven by increased empathic concern. Study 2 (N = 588), in which two hypothetical helping-behavior scenarios were randomly administered (crisis-related vs. control), showed that participants under high perceived financial threat exhibited an undifferentiated pattern of prosociality. However, moderatedmediation analyses indicated that empathic concern explained the perceived financial threathelping behavior link in the hypothetical crisis-related scenario but not in the hypothetical control scenario. Together, these findings extend prior literature on the psychosocial effects of perceived economic threat and the determinants of other-oriented behavior. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ref. PSI2014-59659-R and Ref. PSI2017-83966- R [MINECO/AEI/FEDER/UE]). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Sexting is not always wanted: consequences on satisfaction and the role of sexual coercion and online sexual victimization

La comprensión del sexting como una nueva forma de comuni-cación interpersonal es cada vez mayor; sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre si la incidencia, correlatos y resultados del sexting varían en función de si se realiza de forma voluntaria o no. En este estudio no experimental, nos proponemos investigar la prevalencia, los predictores y las consecuencias del sexting entre 310 jóvenes españoles, que completaron una encuesta on-line sobre sus experiencias previas de sexting deseado y no deseado, coer-ción sexual y victimización sexual online, así como sus niveles de satisfac-ción sexual y vital. Los resultados mostraron que la mitad y un tercio de la muestra habían estado involucrados en comportamientos de sexting desea-dos y no deseados, respectivamente. Además, la coerción sexual y la victi-mización sexual online predijeron una mayor probabilidad de participar en conductas sexuales no deseadas y, con ello, una disminución de la satisfac-ción vital. Por último, haber experimentado mayor coerción sexual se aso-ció con menor satisfacción vital al aumentar la probabilidad de sufrir victi-mización sexual online y de participar en conductas adicionales de sexting no deseado. Nuestros hallazgos muestran la importancia de discernir entre el sexting deseado y el no deseado y cómo el hacerlo de forma diferente condiciona los predictores y las consecuencias de este fenómeno.The understanding of sexting as a new form of interpersonal communication is increasing; however, little is known about whether the incidence, correlates, and outcomes of sexting vary depending on whether such behavior is done willingly or not. In this non-experimental study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and consequences of sex-ting among 310 Spanish young adults, who completed an online survey re-garding their previous experiences of wanted and unwanted sexting behav-iors, their sexual coercion and online sexual victimization experiences, and their levels of sexual and life satisfaction. The results showed that more than half and one third of the sample had been involved in wanted and unwanted sexting behaviors, respectively. Additionally, sexual coercion and online sexual victimization predicted a higher probability of engaging in unwanted sexual behaviors and, with that, a decrease of life satisfaction. Finally, having experienced more instances of sexual coercion was associ-ated with lower life satisfaction by increasing the likelihood of suffering online sexual victimization experiences and engaging in additional unwant-ed sexting behaviors. Our findings show the importance of discerning be-tween wanted and unwanted sexting and how doing so differently condi-tions the predictors and consequences of this phenomena.Ministry of Economy, Knowledge, BusinessUniversities, Junta de Andalucía [Ref.B-SEJ-472-UGR18]The Grant PID2021-123125OB-100MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the “European Unio