Individual differences in men's use of partner-directed insults and sexual coercion: Replication and extension in a South American sample

Abstract

Previous research with North American samples indicates that men who more frequently insult their intimate partners are also more likely to coerce them sexually. We investigated the cross-cultural generality of associations between men's use of partner-directed insults and sexual coercion in Brazil, a South American country with rates of domestic violence and homicide higher than in North America, by adapting the Partner-Directed Insults Scale (PDIS) for Portuguese-speakers. Participants were 177 Brazilians (Mage = 23.6 years; 59.9% female) in an intimate relationship lasting an average of 39.4 months (SD = 40.4). Participants completed the PDIS, which assesses men's use of partner-directed insults, and the Sexual Coercion in Intimate Relationships Scale (SCIRS), which assesses men's use of sexual coercion against their partners. In line with previous research with North American samples, Brazilian men's use of partner-directed insults predicted their use of sexual coercion against their partners, indicating some cross-cultural generality in this pattern of findings. For example, men's accusations of a partner's sexual infidelity were associated with men's sexually coercive resource manipulation and defection threat. We addressed several limitations of the current research and highlighted the value of cross-cultural replications investigating men's partner-directed insults and sexual coercion in intimate relationships.