Valid for who? A preliminary investigation of the validity of two sexual victimization questionnaires in men and sexual minorities

The #MeToo movement illuminated vast numbers of people who experienced sexual violence, but the exact scope and impact, especially among under-studied populations (e.g., men and sexual minorities) is unclear, due in part to measurement issues. Our objective was to compare the validity of two measures of sexual violence victimization: The Sexual Experiences Survey – Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and The Post-Refusal Sexual Persistence Scale – Victimization (PRSPS-V). Participants were 673 college students who first completed the Rape Empathy for Victims (REM-V) and then the SES-SFV and PRSPS-V (counter-balanced). We found strong evidence of convergent validity for the PRSPS-V with correlations ranging from r = .57 – 88. Convergent validity correlations were strongest for sexual minority women (r = .88) and weakest for heterosexual men (r = .57). We also found evidence of differential validity for the SES-SFV and PRSPS-V. For heterosexual women, rape empathy was cor-related to victimization on both questionnaires (r = .25 - .29). However, for heterosexual men, only scores on the SES-SFV were correlated with rape empathy for victims (r = .19). For sexual minorities there appeared to be differences between PRSPS-V only victims and those who reported victimization on both questionnaires in rape empathy (F = 2.65, p = .053). These results provide researchers a starting point for improving these questionnaires to collect more accurate data that helps improve the ability to detect cases of sexual victimization and thus, prevent and heal sexual victimization, especial-ly in understudied populations such as men and sexual minorities.

Sexual Attitudes, Perceptions of Attractiveness, and Level of Coercion Affect Undergraduate Men’s Judgments of Women’s Responses to Sexual and Nonsexual Social Situations

The aims of this study were to (a) evaluate undergraduate men’s ( N = 108) judgments of the effectiveness of women’s responses to increasingly coercive sexual victimization risk and nonsexual social situations and (b) examine whether individual difference factors (e.g., perceptions of attractiveness, rape empathy) influenced these judgments. As part of a larger study, undergraduate women were video recorded responding to a series of vignettes depicting increasingly coercive sexual and nonsexual social situations. Undergraduate men then rated the effectiveness of these responses in either decreasing risk for sexual victimization (for the sexual victimization risk situations) or increasing the likelihood of achieving a social goal (for the nonsexual social situations), as well as each woman’s physical attractiveness. Multilevel modeling results revealed that both situational-level (i.e., level of coercion) and individual-level factors (i.e., rape empathy, perceived attractiveness of the women, and rape myth acceptance) were associated with men’s judgments of the effectiveness of women’s responses in sexually risky situations. Specifically, responses were rated as less effective in decreasing victimization risk as the level of coercion increased, and men who reported lower rape empathy, lower perceived attractiveness of the woman, and higher rape myth acceptance judged women’s responses as less effective than men who reported higher rape empathy, higher perceived attractiveness, and lower rape myth acceptance. Attractiveness was the only significant predictor of men’s judgments of women’s responses to nonsexual situations, with more attractive women being perceived as more effective. The findings of the current study highlight the importance of understanding the interaction between individual difference variables and situational features in understanding men’s judgments of women’s responses.

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

Introduction: Estimates of sexual perpetration in college men vary widely, partially due to a lack of reliable and valid measures of sexual perpetration. 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. Methods: Participants (n = 402) completed a web survey containing the study measures; a subset of 66 participants completed the SES-SFP again two weeks later.Results: In examining test-retest reliability, most (90.7%) participants were classified correctly using dichotomous scores of sexually aggressive behavior (yes/no). However, test-retest agreement for category scores was poor (0 – 50.0%). Test-retest correlations were largest for lifetime category scores, r = .69 and smallest for lifetime dichotomous scores, r = .59. Regarding validity, SES-SFP scores were positively associated with measures of partner violence and trait aggression and negatively associated with a measure of rape empathy. Conclusions: 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.

Sexual Minority Status & 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, PTSD symptoms, and social desirability. ANCOVAs, 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.

The Effectiveness of Male-Targeted Sexual Assault Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis

According to Black et al., one in five women will be raped during their lifetimes. In one national survey, it was found that of 14,989 female college students from nine institutions, 34% reported experiencing a completed or attempted sexual assault in their lifetimes and 21% of them reported that they had experienced a completed or attempted sexual assault as a college student. Therefore, effective sexual assault prevention efforts targeted at men are needed, and several initiatives have been developed. The current study provides a meta-analytic investigation of male-targeted sexual assault prevention interventions. Eligible studies were located from the following databases: Psychological Information Database, Education Resources Information Center, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Google Scholar, Dissertation Abstracts Online, Criminal Justice Abstracts, and reference sections of relevant articles. The weighted mean effect size for between-subjects studies of sexual assault attitudes showed improvement ( d = −0.24, k = 25), and the effect was statistically significant ( p < .001). The weighted mean effect size for between-subjects studies of future inclinations toward engaging in sexually aggressive behavior ( d = −0.20, k = 13, p = .02) and toward engaging in sexual assault prevention behavior ( d = 0.27, k = 10, p = .007) showed statistically significant improvements as well. However, the weighted mean effect sizes for between-subjects studies of rape empathy, sexual assault knowledge, sexual assault–related attitudes, and sexual assault perpetration were nonsignificant. Results show there is significant room for growth, both in terms of practical applications and further research.

Rape Crimes Reviewed: The Role of Observer Variables in Female Victim Blaming

This article presents an overview of empirical research on the role of observer variables in rape victim blaming (female attacked by a male perpetrator). The focus is on literature from the last 15 years. The variables observer gender, ambivalent sexism, rape myth acceptance, and rape empathy are discussed in relation to victim blaming. Most research on rape is conducted using diverse methods and approaches that result in a great disparity regarding the role of these variables in predicting blame assignments. Despite the inconsistencies, most studies show that men hold the victim more responsible for her own victimization than women. Findings further indicate that higher scores on sexist ideologies and rape myth acceptance predict higher victim blame, and that higher rape empathy scores predict lower victim blame. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.