Citation

Willis M, Nelson-Gray RO. J. Am. Coll. Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07448481.2020.1732988

PMID

32207664

Abstract

Objective: Undergraduate women are more likely to comply with unwanted sexual behavior if they have experienced sexual coercion from their partner. We investigated whether the severity and frequency of sexual coercion was associated with sexual compliance.Participants: A sample of 195 female university students in committed relationships.Methods: Participants completed an online survey about sexually coercive experiences in their relationship and hypothetical sexual compliance.Results: We found that undergraduate women exposed to more frequent mild sexual coercion from their current partner predicted they would be more compliant with hypothetical sexual coercion from that partner-both mild and severe.Conclusion: There may be a precedent for sexual compliance in some sexually coercive relationships; this precedent seems to be gradually set. Prevention programs should emphasize that even the mildest forms of sexual coercion can potentially have negative implications for a relationship.

Language: en

Keywords

Relationships; sexual coercion; sexual compliance; sexual precedent