Chapter 4 - Risk and protective factors for sexual aggression across the ecosystem: An overview

Abstract

Prevention of sexual aggression among boys and men requires an understanding of risk and protective factors across the social ecology. In the current chapter, we review individual (e.g., hostile masculinity, violence-supportive beliefs), relationship (e.g., family environment, peer attitudes and behavior), community/societal (e.g., rape culture), and situational (e.g., alcohol use environments) risk and protective factors. We use the social ecological model as a broad organizational framework and describe several theories related to sexual aggression risk, including social disorganization theory, social learning theory, social norms theory, male peer support model, the I3 model, the confluence model, and routine activities theory. This chapter yields insight into multiple potential strategies for the prevention of sexual aggression among boys and men.