Relationships of Hazardous Alcohol Use, Alcohol Expectancies, and Emotional Commitment to Male Sexual Coercion and Aggression in Dating Couples

Abstract

The current research was designed to identify subgroups among dating couples based on individual characteristics and a couple's dyadic pairing that contribute to the risk for male perpetration of sexual aggression and female victimization. Heterosexual dating couples (N = 164) were recruited from a large university. They separately completed measures assessing the frequency of sexually aggressive acts perpetrated by the male partner (revised Conflict Tactics Scales), hazardous alcohol use (AUDIT-C), alcohol expectancies (shortened Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire), emotional commitment, and relationship length. A two-step cluster analyses revealed two distinct subgroups of dating couples. Dating partners in Cluster 2, compared with Cluster 1, were less emotionally committed, in a shorter relationship, engaged in more hazardous alcohol use, possessed stronger alcohol expectancies, and were younger. Further, male partners in Cluster 2 perpetrated more sexual aggression, sexual coercion, and threatened/forced sex compared with men in Cluster 1. Using cluster analytic techniques, this study extended past research by identifying individual and couple-level characteristics that contributed to the risk for male sexual aggression perpetration and female victimization. Younger couples in the early stages of a dating relationship, who are less committed to each other, and who are both engaging in hazardous drinking and possess stronger alcohol expectancies are more at risk. Including a discussion in prevention programs that make individuals cognizant of not only their own but also their partner's characteristics as a risk for sexual aggression and coercion might provide young adults with better skills to assess risky situations.