Sexual coercion in adolescence: From non-consensual sexuality to sexuality under constraint

Publication date: Available online 11 March 2018 Source:Sexologies Author(s): F. Glowacz, M. Goblet, A. Courtain Introduction Adolescence is a crucial period of psycho-sexual development during which sexuality may express in a violent way. Objectives Our study analyzes the conducts of sexual coercion acted and experienced by adolescents, implying two distinct samples of teenagers (n1=301/40% girls; n2=355/65% girls). The first study focuses on evaluation by means of self-reported measures of conducts of sexual coercion, delinquency and experiences of sexual victimization. The second study evaluates conducts of sexual coercion acted and experienced in romantic relationship and attitudes relating to these conducts. Results For both studies, it emerges that adolescents perpetrating severe sexual coercion (using threat and/or physical force) are mostly male and display violent conducts in other areas than sexuality. They report more experiences of sexual victimization than non-coercive adolescents. Although prevalence rates of sexual coercion in romantic relationships are low, phenomena of polyperpetration and polyvictimization have been pointed out. Boys are more often perpetrators of sexual fondling without consent and girls are more often victims. The potential of escalation from minor sexually coercive conducts (non-consensual kissing) to severe sexually coercive conducts is noted for boys and not for girls. Finally, boys exhibit more tolerant attitudes towards sexual ...

Source: Sexologies - March 12, 2018 Category: Sexual Medicine Source Type: research