Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences Research Articles

Shameful "Victims" and Angry "Survivors": Emotion, Mental Health, and Labeling Sexual Assault.

Decades of research demonstrate that women frequently avoid the label "rape" when reflecting on nonconsensual sexual experiences. The current study focuses on self-labels to further understand the relationship between assault characteristics, emotion, mental health, and women's labeling of sexual assault. We argue that emotions produced by various assault characteristics are important mechanisms for understanding self-labeling after a sexual assault. We draw from research on rape scripts and cultural discourses of victimhood, survivorhood, and emotion to examine labeling "rape" and self-labeling as a "victim" or "survivor" in an online survey of 138 undergraduate women at a southeastern university. Using a series of ordinal logistic regressions in which labels are regressed on emotions and measures of mental health, we find that the "victim" label is associated with shame and post-traumatic stress, while the "survivor" label is associated with anger and less depression.

Identification of Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences and the Sexual Self-Schemas of Women: Implications for Sexual Functioning.

Many individuals who experience nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) do not identify their experiences with common sexual violence labels (e.g., sexual assault, rape, or abuse), and cognitive mechanisms of identification have yet to be examined. Identification may involve the integration of the experience into sexual self-schemas, which would have implications for sexual well-being. Women were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (N = 818) to take part in an anonymous online study of sexual experiences. The current study assessed the relationship between textually derived sexual self-schemas and sexual function (measured by the Female Sexual Function Index) in women (M = 35.37years, SD = 11.27) with NSEs who both did (identifiers, n = 305) and did not (non-identifiers, n = 176) identify with common sexual violence labels, in comparison with those with no NSEs (n = 337). Text analyses revealed nine sexual self-schema themes in participants' essays: Virginity, Openness, Erotophilia, NSEs, Romantic, Sexual Activity, Warmth, Relationships, and Reflection. Analyses demonstrated that identifiers reported significantly poorer sexual functioning and less use of both the Warmth and Openness themes than those with no NSEs. Identifiers also invoked the NSE theme more frequently than both those with no NSE histories and non-identifiers. While greater prominence of the Warmth theme was predictive of greater sexual functioning for both non-identifiers and those with no NSEs, this was not true for identifiers. Instead, the NSE theme was significantly predictive of lower sexual functioning in identifiers. The results suggest that NSE identification may result in greater internalization of the NSE into one's sexual self-schema and, in turn, predict decrements in sexual functioning. The results are discussed in relation to identification interpretation and clinical intervention.

015 Sexual Self-schemas and Identification of Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: Implications for Sexual Functioning

Many women with nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) do not identify their experiences with common sexual violence labels, such as sexual abuse, sexual assault, or rape. Yet, research has suggested that there is an association between identification with these labels and sexual well-being (Rellini & Meston, 2007; Vaillancourt-Morel et al., 2016). The current study examined a mechanism through which identification of NSEs may influence women’s sexual functioning: integration of the experience into their sexual schemas. Women with NSE histories who identify their experiences with these labels (identifiers; n = 305), women who do not identify their experiences with these labels (non-identifiers; n = 176), and women without NSE histories (n = 337) took part in an online study on sexual well-being. Women first completed measures about their NSEs and their sexual functioning, and then wrote continuously for 20 minutes about their sexuality and sexual self. These essays were analyzed using Meaning Extraction Method to extract relevant sexual self-schema themes (Stanton et al., 2015). Finally, the relationship between these schema themes and sexual function was assessed among the three groups of women.

067 Sexual Partners and Compulsivity: An Examination of Body Esteem in the Sexual Behaviors of Women with and without Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences

067 Sexual Partners and Compulsivity: An Examination of Body Esteem in the Sexual Behaviors of Women with and without Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences

A Developmentally Relevant Approach to Classifying Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences in the Study of Women’s Sexual Well-Being

In this article we propose a sexual developmental approach to classifying the onset of nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) that differs from the traditional age cutoff approach. Online measures of sexual self-schemas, sexual response, and sexual functioning were administered to 797 women with and without NSE histories. Women were grouped based on when their NSEs first occurred in reference to their age of menarche and age of their first consensual sexual experience (i.e., premenarche onset, postmenarche preconsensual onset, postconsensual onset, and no NSEs). Between-group analyses assessed differences in sexual well-being and structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed measurement invariance across the four groups. Women with NSE onset postmenarche but before their first consensual sexual experience reported significantly more conservative-embarrassed sexual self-schemas than did women with no NSEs. Women with NSE onset postmenarche and post–first consensual sex had significantly less sexual satisfaction than did women with no NSE histories. The other groups did not significantly differ from each other. The model demonstrated partial indicator-level metric noninvariance, suggesting that the various indicators of sexuality contributed differentially to the overall sexual well-being across these groups of women. The results support the use of the developmentally informed approach to classifying NSEs when assessing female sexual well-being.

022 The Importance of the Developmental Stage of Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences in Women's Sexual Adjustment

Nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) have a significant impact on the sexual well-being of women, yet the majority of the research conducted on NSEs and sexuality have focused on childhood NSEs (i.e., child sexual abuse). The age cutoffs researchers use to define childhood (vs adolescent or adult) NSEs are often arbitrary and range from 11-18 years. The current study assesses the time of first NSE, using age of menarche and age of first consensual sexual experience as markers of developmental stage, on the sexual responses and functioning of women. Other characteristics of the NSEs, such as relationship to perpetrator, pervasiveness, and self-identification of the event as sexual assault, on adult sexual function are also examined. Women who experience their first NSE pre-menarche (n = 161), post-menarche and pre-first consensual sex (n = 147), and post-menarche and post-first consensual sex (n = 146), and a control group of women with no NSEs (n = 331) completed online measures of their NSE characteristics, their sexual responses (Graham et al., 2006), and their sexual functioning (Rosen et al., 2000).

061 The Role of Sexual Schemas in the Body Appraisals and Sexual Functioning of Women with Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences

061 The Role of Sexual Schemas in the Body Appraisals and Sexual Functioning of Women with Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences

Violence Exposure, Posttraumatic Stress, and Subjective Well-Being in a Sample of Russian Adults: A Facebook-Based Study.

Exposure to violence has been shown to negatively affect mental health and well-being. The goal of this Facebook-based study was to describe the rates of exposure to violence in a sample of Russian adults and to assess the impact of these experiences on subjective well-being and victimization-related psychological distress. Three types of victimization were assessed: physical assault by a stranger, physical assault by someone known to victim, and nonconsensual sexual experiences. The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to assess subjective well-being, and Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD) was employed as an indicator of victimization-related psychological distress. Data were obtained from 6,724 Russian-speaking Facebook users. Significant levels of lifetime victimization were reported by the study participants. Lifetime physical assault by a stranger, physical assault by someone known to victim, and sexual assault were reported by 56.9%, 64.2%, and 54.1% of respondents, respectively. Respondents exposed to violence were more likely to report posttraumatic stress symptoms and lower levels of subjective well-being. Participants who were exposed to at least one type of violence were more likely to experience symptoms of traumatic stress (U = 1,794,250.50, p < .001, d = 0.35). Exposure to multiple forms of violence was associated with more severe traumatic stress symptoms (rs = .257, p < .001). Well-being scores were significantly lower among participants exposed to violence (t = 8.37, p < .001, d = 0.31). The study demonstrated that violence exposure is associated with reduced well-being among Russian adults. Our findings highlight the negative impact of violence exposure on subjective well-being and underscore the necessity to develop programs addressing violence exposure in Russian populations.

Negative affectivity in females' identification of their nonconsensual sexual experiences and sexual dissatisfaction

Very little research has examined the adjustment differences between those who identify their nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) as sexual assault and those who do not, despite both groups meeting the legal criteria for having experienced sexual assault. Identifying differences between NSE identifiers and non-identifiers may help to illuminate psychosexual factors in NSE construal, emotional reactivity, and resilience in sexual outcomes. This study examines the association of individuals' NSE self-identification and negative affectivity with women's sexual dissatisfaction in an undergraduate sample. Participants (N=126) completed measures of negative affectivity five months before completing measures of sexual satisfaction and NSE history. Results indicated that negative affectivity has a robust independent association with NSE identification and sexual concerns for women who report NSEs, corresponding to legal definitions of sexual assault. In addition, no differences were found between identifiers and non-identifiers on sexual dissatisfaction, suggesting NSE history may have more to do with sexual satisfaction in these women than the construal of the event.

An evaluation of the current state of sexual and reproductive health and rights of women in Ghana

Objective: To provide a current account of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Ghana (West Africa), a priority area in achieving the World Health Organization’s Millennium Development Goals.Method: The study was observational. Three-hundred ninety Ghanaian women attending cervical cancer screening were surveyed about their SRHR. The data were analyzed with chi-squared test (p ≤ 0.05, two-sided).Results: 22.1% had a life-time history of non-consensual sexual experience and 55.4% a previous history of abortion, mostly using services of a registered clinic (68.5%). Experience of sexual violence increased life-time risk of abortion (p = 0.018). The overall use of contraceptives was high (>60%); however, condom use during sexual intercourse with a new partner was low (23%), even among the highly educated women (32.7%) and women who stated to have received information on the risks and benefits of condom use (26.0%). Although condom use among the highly educated women was low, it was still 2 times higher than among the lower educated women, 15.7% (p < 0.001). There was also less condom use among the women with multiple sexual partners compared to single-partnered women (p = 0.001).Conclusion: More than a decade after the inception of the Millennium Development Goals, there is still work to be done in Ghana, especially on education and sexual violence.

Impacto de la Coerción Sexual en la Salud Mental y Actitud Hacia la Sexualidad: Un Estudio Comparativo Entre Bolivia, Chile y España

The study compares the influence of sexual coercion on mental health and attitude toward sexuality in 3 socio-cultural contexts. Convenience purposive sampling was used. Of a total of 7,586 invitations to participate in this research, 1,251 heterosexual college students from Bolivia, Chile, and Spain (a 17% response rate) responded to 3 online questionnaires: the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, the Scale of Sexuality and the Scale of Non-Consensual Sexual Experiences. c 2 and factorial ANOVA were used to analyze the results. A 24% of the students reported having experienced some form of sexual coercion (26% female and 20.1% male). Of these, more Bolivian (31%) youngsters than Chilean (24.1%) and Spanish (16%) youngsters reported having lived these experiences, which were associated with increased anxiety and depression and a more negative attitude towards sexuality. The impact on mental health and attitude toward sexuality seems to depend on the type of sexual coercion experienced, nationality, and sex. Socio-cultural factors may be related to its prevalence and health impact.

Mental health of victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo: associations with daily stressors, stigma, and labeling.

BackgroundThe conflict-ridden context of eastern Congo has set the scene for grueling human rights violations, with sexual violence as one of the ‘weapons of war’. Currently, sexual violence continues, with a considerable increase in civilian perpetrators. However, little is known regarding the particular impact of different experiences of sexual violence on adolescents’ mental health. This study therefore investigates the impact of sexual violence on eastern Congolese adolescents’ mental health and its differing associations with daily stressors, stigma, and the labeling of sexual violence (as ‘rape’ or ‘non-consensual sexual experience’).MethodsA cross-sectional, population-based survey design was implemented in 22 secondary schools, randomly selected from a stratified sample, in Bunia, eastern Congo, a region extensively affected by war. A total of 1,305 school-going adolescent girls aged 11 to 23 participated. Self-report measures of mental health symptoms, war-related traumatic events, experiences of sexual violence, daily stressors, and stigmatization were administered. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics, traumatic experiences and daily and social stressors between types of sexual violence (rape, non-consensual sexual violence, no sexual violence) were explored through statistical analysis. ANCOVA analyses investigated associations between those risk factors and adolescents’ mental health.ResultsMore than one third of eastern Congolese adolescent girls reported experiences of sexual violence. Elevated levels of daily stressors, experiences of stigmatization, and stressful war-related events were found amongst girl victims of sexual violence, with the highest levels for girls who labeled the sexual violence as rape. Daily stressors, stigmatization, and war-related events showed a large impact on the girls’ mental health. Last, girls who labeled the sexual violence as non-consensual sexual experiences reported more post-traumatic hyper-arousal and intrusion symptoms compared to those labeling the sexual violence as rape.ConclusionsThese findings point to the important association between how war-affected adolescent girls label sexual violence (rape or non-consensual sexual experiences) and their mental health. This study also documents the large impact of sexual violence on other stressors (daily stressors, stigmatization, and stressful war events) and the impact of these stressors on girl victims’ mental health. It discusses important implications for addressing sexual violence and its consequences in war-affected contexts.

Dating violence: Promoting awareness and mitigating risk through nursing innovations

The TeLL Dating Violence Project was created by three advanced practice nurses to mitigate the risk of dating violence on a college campus through establishment of an innovative program of education and policy change. Literature regarding dating and domestic violence and the subsequent health effects as it pertains to college-aged students was reviewed. Government agency documentation pertaining to the legal requirements to protect students was included. Several college documents were compared for education and awareness programs, safety and prevention measures, and reporting and follow-up procedures. Key stakeholders on campus were accessed to determine unmet student needs. Dating violence is a common occurrence among college students. Women are more likely to be affected and at greatest risk for experiencing nonfatal intimate partner violence and nonconsensual sexual experiences. Dating violence significantly impacts the short- and long-term health of victims and has significant financial effects as well. Nurses are in a unique position to identify and refer clients who may have experienced dating violence. By partnering with campus health centers, student organizations, and public safety the risk of dating violence can be mitigated. An innovative program developed by a team of advanced practice nurses that involves policy change, awareness, and education is outlined.

Gender differences in alcohol-related non-consensual sex; cross-sectional analysis of a student population

BackgroundSexual offences are a global public health concern. Recent changes in the law in England and Wales have dramatically altered the legal landscape of sexual offences, but sexual assaults where the victim is voluntarily intoxicated by alcohol continue to have low conviction rates. Worldwide, students are high consumers of alcohol. This research aimed to compare male and female students in relation to their knowledge and attitudes about alcohol and sexual activity and to identify factors associated with being the victim of alcohol-related non-consensual sex.Methods1,110 students completed an online questionnaire. Drinking levels were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Non-consensual sexual experiences were measured using the Sexual Experience Survey. Univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken using chi square and backwards stepwise logistic regression respectively.ResultsA third of respondents had experienced alcohol-related non-consensual sex. Male and female students differed in the importance they gave to cues in deciding if a person wished to have sex with them and their understanding of the law of consent. 82.2% of women who had experienced alcohol-related non-consensual sex were hazardous drinkers compared to 62.9% who drank at lower levels (P < 0.001). Differences existed between men and women, and between those who had and had not experienced alcohol-related non-consensual sex, in relation to assessments of culpability in scenarios depicting alcohol-related intercourse. A third of respondents believed that a significant proportion of rapes were false allegations; significantly more men than women responded in this way.ConclusionsAlcohol-related coerced sexual activity is a significant occurrence among students; attitudinal and knowledge differences between males and females may explain this. Educational messages that focus upon what is deemed acceptable sexual behaviour, the law and rape myths are needed but are set against a backdrop where drunkenness is commonplace.

Cannabis use and psychosis: re-visiting the role of childhood trauma

Cannabis consumption continues to be identified as a causal agent in the onset and development of psychosis. However, recent findings have shown that the effect of cannabis on psychosis may be moderated by childhood traumatic experiences. Using hierarchical multivariate logistic analyses the current study examined both the independent effect of cannabis consumption on psychosis diagnosis and the combined effect of cannabis consumption and childhood sexual abuse on psychosis diagnosis using data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (n=7403). Findings suggested that cannabis consumption was predictive of psychosis diagnosis in a bivariate model; however, when estimated within a multivariate model that included childhood sexual abuse, the effect of cannabis use was attenuated and was not statistically significant. The multivariate analysis revealed that those who had experienced non-consensual sex in childhood were over six times [odds ratio (OR) 6.10] more likely to have had a diagnosis of psychosis compared with those who had not experienced this trauma. There was also a significant interaction. Individuals with a history of non-consensual sexual experience and cannabis consumption were over seven times more likely (OR 7.84) to have been diagnosed with psychosis compared with those without these experiences; however, this finding must be interpreted with caution as it emerged within an overall analytical step which was non-significant. Future studies examining the effect of cannabis consumption on psychosis should adjust analyses for childhood trauma. Childhood trauma may advance existing gene-environment conceptualisations of the cannabis-psychosis link.

Child and adolescent sexual abuse and violence in India: a review

In recent years, there has been an increasing attention to sexual coercive experiences of young people in developing countries, including India. Research done in this newer area is generating new...

Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences and Alcohol Consumption Among Women Entering College

The authors investigated the relationship between precollege nonconsensual sexual experiences (NSEs) and drinking among women entering college. College women (N = 797) at a midwestern university participated. Eighteen percent reported one or more NSE prior to arriving at college. Having a precollege NSE was associated with recent drinking, binge drinking, and negative drinking consequences. The authors discuss implications for intervention and prevention programs targeting college women.

The Adolescent Sexual Development of African American Gay Men with AIDS: Implications for Community-Based Practice

ABSTRACT This qualitative study describes the adolescent sexual development of ten African American gay men living with AIDS. The informants retrospectively describe the challenges of being a gay adolescent in a mostly heterosexist and homophobic environment. They report unsupportive homophobic and heterosexist family members, community members and school officials. They also describe their burgeoning sexual orientation, sexual initiation as well as consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences with their peers. Additionally, several informants describe seeking sexual experiences with adult men. Later they suggest the adult men became their primary sources of emotional and psychological support. Implications for community practice, intervention and research with both African American gay adolescents and adult men living with AIDS are discussed.

Non-consensual sex, school enrolment and educational outcomes in South Africa

Sexual violence is a significant problem in South Africa. Such encounters bring psychological trauma, social stigma, and the risk of pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Existing qualitative research indicates that survivors have difficulty concentrating on school-work, with many reportedly losing interest and some leaving school. The relationship between these experiences and school enrolment and educational attainment has not been quantified in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a random sample of 14- to 24-year-olds in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we find the experience of non-consensual sex to be associated with significantly lower chances of current school enrolment among males and females, and lower educational attainment and more school delays among females. Multivariate results show a significant negative relationship between non-consensual sexual experience and schooling progression amongst females.

Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences of Adolescents in Urban India

Purpose Research from developing countries suggests that nonconsensual sexual experiences are common, yet these experiences remain understudied. Methods We describe the prevalence and factors associated with nonconsensual sexual experiences of unmarried adolescents (583 boys and 474 girls), ages 15–19 years, from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Delhi, India. We also describe their reports of perpetrators. Results Thirty-two percent of boys and 42% of girls reported being touched against their will. After multivariate adjustment, both boys and girls who had ever worked (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76, p = .05 and OR = 1.79, p = .004, respectively) and those who had a friend of the opposite gender (OR = 3.64, p = .0001 and OR = 2.19, p = .0001, respectively) were more likely to report the experience. The most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (60%) and strangers for girls (93%). Fifteen percent of boys and 3% of girls reported that someone forcibly tried to have a physical relationship with them. Boys who had ever worked (OR = 3.73, p = .007) were more likely to report the experience. Both boys and girls who had a friend of the opposite sex were more likely to report attempted forced physical relationship (OR = 3.73, p = .0001 and OR = 3.41, p = .03, respectively). The most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (72%) and neighbors (60%) for girls. Conclusions Nonconsensual sex is a common experience for these adolescents and there are important gender differences in experience and type of perpetrator. The findings underscore the need to develop programs that enable young people to prevent and cope with nonconsensual sexual experiences.