NCJ Number
188002
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 2-3 Dated: March-June 2001 Pages: 269-280
Date Published
2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This literature review examines research findings pertinent to the identification of risk and protective factors for male-to-female sexual abuse.
Abstract
All of the studies that investigated the relationship between partner sexual abuse and demographic risk factors focused on the characteristics of the victims. Only one of the demographic risk factors (family income) investigated in these studies is shared by both victim and perpetrator. Only two demographic risk factors were moderately associated with partner sexual abuse: younger age and unemployment. Russell (1990) compared victims of partner sexual abuse (n=87) to battered women (n=75) and nonvictimized women (n=482) on several types of nonmarital sexual victimization experiences. Russell's results indicate that prior sexual victimization, in a wide variety of forms, is a risk factor for partner sexual abuse. Painter and Farrington (1998) also found that women reporting a history of prior sexual victimization (by someone other than husbands) were four times more likely to report being raped by their husbands. These studies suggest prior sexual victimization is a strong risk factor for partner sexual abuse. Meyer et al. (1998) investigated the relationship between partner sexual abuse and male-to-female psychological aggression. They found no association between men's self-reports of male-to-female sexual coercion and male-to-female psychological aggression, but there was a small but significant relation for women's reports. Frieze (1983) found a moderate relationship between husbands' worst physical violence and the frequency of partner sexual abuse. Limitations of the research reviewed are discussed. 1 table and 12 references