Behavioral response to threat (BRTT) as a key behavior for sexual assault risk reduction intervention: A critical review

Despite extensive research on sexual assault, study of the processes and behaviors central to responding to sexual assault threats is limited. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical, narrative review of the literature on behavioral response to threat (BRTT) highlighting BRTT as mechanism of self-defense interventions and process of sexual victimization. Empirical findings regarding measurement, styles, effectiveness of different styles of BRTT, and facilitators and barriers of BRTT, are reviewed. Most individuals engage in some type of active behavior when faced with a sexual assault threat; yet, the range of the behaviors elicited can be broad and is not well captured by current measurement approaches. Assertive BRTT is the most effective response style, but few, if any, feminist self-defense intervention studies measure change in this behavior as a result of intervention. Recommendations for clinical practice include developing comprehensive measurement of BRTT and adapting interventions to decrease barriers to assertive BRTTs. Recommendations for future research include undertaking both qualitative and quantitative efforts to better characterize the range, stability, and predictors of all possible BRTT styles

Use of the Response-Latency Paradigm for evaluating women’s responses to threat of date rape

This study evaluates the novel use of the response-latency paradigm to elicit women’s hypothetical behavioral responses to the threat of acquaintance rape. There were 146 college women recruited and randomly assigned to 4 study conditions. In 3 of the conditions, the threat to which participants responded was experimentally controlled; in the fourth control condition, participants selected the level of threat themselves, following standard procedure of the response-latency paradigm. Results indicated that participant’s responses became more intense as threat levels increased; this relationship was not moderated by whether the threat was controlled by the experimenter or the participant. These results indicate the response-latency paradigm is useful for eliciting and evaluating women’s hypothetical responses to the threat of acquaintance rape to learn more about this process

The Psychometric Properties of the Sexual Experiences Survey – Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and Characteristics of Sexual Victimization Experiences in College Men

Estimates of the rate of sexual victimization in college men vary wildly - likely due to the lack of validated measures. This study provides psychometric data on the Sexual Experiences Survey - Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and basic descriptive characteristics of sexual victimization of college men via the SES-SFV. Participants (n = 405) completed a web survey containing the study measures; a subset of 69 participants completed the SES-SFV again 1-3 weeks later. Convergent validity correlations were consistent but modest in size. Two-week test retest reliability estimates varied widely by the type of sexual victimization assessed and scoring format used; dichotomous scores were the most reliable and category scores the worst. Over one in four participants (28%) reported experiencing sexual victimization at Time 1; most reported victimization frequencies greater than one (22.8% of sample). Using behaviorally specific items, one in seven reported experiencing rape (14.1%). The most common type of sexual victimization experienced was unwanted sexual contact. Rape acknowledgement among men who experienced rape (12.2%) was much lower than has been observed in women. Our results indicate mixed evidence for the reliability and validity of the SES-SFV in college men, highlight important characteristics of sexual victimization in college men, and demonstrate the need for further research on the best strategies for the assessment of sexual victimization in college men

Differences in the type and sequence order of self-defense behaviors during a high-risk victimization scenario: Impact of prior sexual victimization

Objective: During a potential sexual assault experience, an active, assertive behavioral response to threat (BRTT) can be protective while a non-assertive BRTT may increase risk. However, little is known about how the sequence of behaviors that a woman engages in during a threatening situation may be related to sexual victimization. The present study investigated the style and sequence of behaviors in college women’s behavioral response to threat using a lab-based date rape self-defense scenario. Method: 135 college women (113 with a history of sexual victimization) completed a lab-based self-defense scenario in which the threat stimuli and situational context were standardized. Participants also completed a comprehensive assessment of multiple BRTT styles and the sequence of behaviors utilized. Results: Most participants endorsed likely using multiple BRTT styles during the hypothetical scenario. Participants with a history of sexual victimization were more likely to endorse diplomatic and immobile style behaviors and using immobile behaviors earlier in the sequence than participants without a victimization history. Conclusions: Prior research has typically assessed whether respondents are likely to engage in one type of BRTT. The present results indicate that women often anticipate using multiple BRTT strategies and that these strategies are likely situation-dependent. Further, women with a history of sexual victimization may utilize different BRTT styles likely as a result of their prior traumatization

Discordance between the Sexual Experiences Surveys-Short Forms and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales in College Men

Objective: Sexual victimization affects at least one in five college women and up to one in six college men; however, the exact rates of sexual perpetration are difficult to ascertain because of inconsistencies in the measurement of these behaviors. The present study is the first to evaluate the extent to which three commonly used measures of sexual violence (The Sexual Experiences Survey- Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV), The Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Perpetration (SES-SFP) and the Revised Conflicts Tactics Scales-Sexual Coercion Subscale (CTS2-SC)) concurred in identifying cases of sexual victimization and sexual perpetration. This is the first study to simultaneously examine victimization and perpetration, provide kappa estimates of discordance, and control for order of survey administration effects. Methods: Undergraduate men (N = 397) completed the study measures in a randomized order. Results: The SES-SFV identified 109 cases of sexual victimization (27.5% of the sample) while the CTS2-SC identified 164 cases (41.3% of the sample). Results were similar for sexual perpetration. There was no effect of the order of administration on sexual victimization reports. However, there was an order effect for sexual perpetration. When the CTS2-SC was administered first response rates on the CTS2-SC were higher. Conclusions: These results highlight the lack of precision in the measurement of sexual violence. Conceptually, the SESs should identify a greater number of cases; yet we consistently found that the CTS2-SC identified more cases of sexual violence. We suggest that differences in the instructional cues, internal item structure, and measure structure may account for these differences

Extending the ACEs Framework: Examining the Relations Between Childhood Abuse and Later Victimization and Perpetration with College Men

Research has revealed that forms of violence are interconnected, but less work focuses on the interconnection of victimization and perpetration, particularly with men. Subsequently, our understanding of the complexities of violence exposure in men’s lives and related policies and treatments remains limited. The present study utilizes a sample of at-risk for violence involvement, college men, to examine the relationships between childhood victimization, adulthood victimization, and adulthood perpetration. Participants are 423 college men receiving course credit who completed a battery of standardized questionnaires via an anonymous web survey. Logistic regression is used. Results indicate that 27% of the men report polyperpetration (two or more types of perpetration), 43.5% report polyvictimization (two or more types of victimization), and 60% report experiencing both forms of victimization and perpetration in the past year. Childhood physical abuse has predictive power for perpetration (psychological aggression and polyperpetration) and victimization (sexual violence, psychological aggression, and polyvictimization) for the men in the past year. Childhood sexual abuse has strong predictive power for perpetration(physical violence, sexual violence, and polyperpetration) and victimization (physical violence and sexual violence) with the men in the past year. Finally, emotional abuse has predictive power for victimization(physical violence and psychological aggression), but not perpetration, for the men in the past year. Developmental psychopathology and the adverse childhood experiences frameworks are used to posit potential pathways explaining the relation between childhood abuse and the overlap between victimization and perpetration in adulthood for men. Implications of this study include the use of trauma-informed models of care with men and expanding the scope of study to examine experiences of both victimization and perpetration, and various types of violence, among men

Initial Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Perpetration (SES-SFP) in College Men

This study provides psychometric data on the Sexual Experiences Survey—Short Form Perpetration (SES-SFP), a revision of one of the most widely used measures of sexual perpetration, in a sample of college men. Participants (n = 402) completed a web survey containing the study measures; a subset of 66 participants completed the SES-SFP again 2 weeks later. Our results provide initial evidence of internal consistency and convergent evidence of validity for the SES-SFP in college men but question the measure’s test-retest reliability. The severity of tactics used to coerce sexually aggressive behaviors was more strongly associated with rape empathy than sexual outcome severity scores, indicating utility of assessing coercive tactics. Additional research is needed regarding the psychometric properties of the SES-SFP and other measures of sexual perpetration in order to accurately assess rates of these behaviors and inform preventive interventions

Women’s Behavioral Responses to the Threat of a Hypothetical Date Rape Stimulus: A Qualitative Analysis

One in four college women experience sexual assault on campus; yet, campuses rarely provide the in-depth self-defense programs needed to reduce sexual assault risk. Further, little is known about the range of possible behaviors elicited by sexual assault threat stimuli besides assertion. To fill this gap, the aim of the current study was to explore qualitative themes in women’s intended behavioral responses to a hypothetical sexual assault threat, date rape, by using a laboratory-controlled threat. College women (N = 139) were randomly assigned to one of four different levels of sexual assault threat presented via an audio-recorded vignette. Participants articulated how they would hypothetically respond to the experimentally assigned threat. Responses were blinded and analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research methodology. Six major themes emerged: assertion, compliance/acceptance, conditional decision making, avoidance, expressions of discomfort, and allusion to future contact. Although almost all participants described assertion, a number of non-assertive responses were described that are not currently recognized in the literature. These non-assertive responses, including compliance/acceptance, conditional decision making, and avoidance, may represent unique behavioral response styles and likely reflect the complex psychological process of behavioral response to threat. The variety of themes found illustrates the great range of behavioral responses to threat. This broad range is not currently well represented or measured in the literature and better understanding of these responses can inform future interventions, advocacy efforts, and policies focused on sexual assault

Predictors of Assertive and Nonassertive Styles of Self-Defense Behavior During a Lab-Based Sexual Assault Scenario

The current study examined how psychological factors influence hypothetical behavioral responses to threat (BRTT). College women (n = 113) with a history of sexual victimization completed a standardized lab-based self-defense scenario. Interpersonal skills, coping style, and assertive and non-assertive BRTT during a prior assault predicted assertive BRTT during the task. The use of non-assertive BRTT during past assaults no longer predicted assertive BRTT during the task when accounting for rape acknowledgment. Findings regarding rape acknowledgment demonstrate the complexity of recovery from sexual assault. Our results highlight interpersonal skills as an intervention target for innovative sexual assault risk reduction interventions

Sexual minority status and interpersonal victimization in college men

Sexual minority men are at increased risk for sexual victimization at all ages compared to heterosexual men; yet, most research on victimization focuses on the experiences of heterosexual women. This study compares the rates of multiple forms of interpersonal violence (violence perpetrated by another person) in a sample of sexual minority status college men and heterosexual men on campus. Participants (n = 53 sexual minority men; n = 364 heterosexual) completed an anonymous Web survey containing measures of childhood abuse, adolescent/adult sexual victimization, adolescent/adult sexual aggression, intimate partner victimization and aggression, rape empathy, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and social desirability. Analyses of covariance, covarying for demographic characteristics and social desirability, revealed that sexual minority men were more likely to experience the most severe forms of adolescent/adult sexual victimization as well as childhood emotional abuse. There were no differences in rates of sexual aggression or intimate partner violence. Sexual minority men who experienced sexual assault were more likely to report being assaulted by other men than were heterosexual men. Regarding self-reported sexual aggression, we found no differences in rates of sexual aggression. Sexual minority men had higher levels of rape empathy and rape acknowledgment than heterosexual men. Our results indicate sexual minority men are at higher risk than heterosexual men for the most severe forms of sexual victimization and experience different psychological consequences of sexual victimization indicating there may be a need for specialized intervention services