1. Sexual Coercion: Harassment, Aggression, and Abuse
Chapter Seventeen
Sexual Coercion: Harassment, Aggression, and Abuse

2. Sexual Harassment The abuse of power for sexual ends
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors
Other verbal or physical sexual conduct as condition for schooling or employment
Creation of a hostile environment
Interferes with performance at school or at work
Illegal 2

3. What Is Sexual Harassment?
Unwelcome sexual advances
Requests for sexual favors
Verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature when:
Explicitly or implicitly affects and individual’s employment
Unreasonably interferes with an individuals work performance
Creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment 2

4. Flirtation versus Harassment
Whether you have equal power
Whether you are approached appropriately
Whether you wish to continue contact
Different cultural expectations lead to misinterpretation
Men and women perceive actions differently 3

5. Harassment in School and College
Harassment in elementary and high school
Often called ”fun” or “teasing”, but intimidates, humiliates, and embarrasses victims
1/3 of high school girls and 1 in 8 boys want to quit school due to harassment
Most often happens when boys are in groups
Harassment in college
Over 60% of male and female college students have been harassed by students or staff 4

6. Harassment in the Workplace
Many women are not informed about sexual harassment
Most common in formerly all-male occupations
Recent survey showed 21% of women, 7% of men were sexually harassed at work
Romantic relationships in the work place are problematic

7. Harassment and Discrimination Against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered People
Heterosexual bias – heterosexism
Ignoring existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual people
Segregating gay, lesbian, bisexual people
Lumping gay, lesbian, bisexual people into larger category
Prejudice, Discrimination, and Violence
Anti-gay prejudice
Homophobia
Gay bashing 5

8. Harassment and Discrimination Against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered People
Effects on heterosexuals
Discrimination and anti-discrimination laws
Violence against gay men and lesbian women
Personal sources of anti-gay prejudice
Ending anti-gay prejudice

9. Sexual Aggression Principal motive is power, not sexual pleasure
Sexual aggression: broad term for sexual activity performed against a person’s will
Sexual coercion: arguing, pleading, and cajoling, as well as force and threat of force
Sexual assault: forced sexual contact that does not necessarily include penile-vaginal intercourse 6

10. The Nature and Incidence of Rape
Does not give the victim pleasure
Forces intimate contact
May involve a man or woman victim
Women fear rape throughout their lives 7

11. Prevalence in the United States
Sexual assault occurs every 2.5 minutes
90% victims of sexual crime were women
1.5 victims per 1000 women over the age of 12
0.2 victims per 1000 men over the age of 12
Over 70% of victims knew assailant

12. Rape Force was used in 80% of reported assaults
67% of victims showed signs of general body trauma
27% of assaults involved the use of a weapon
Defined: forced vaginal, oral, and anal intercourse, 18% of women and 3% of men in the U.S. have been raped
Over half of victims report the assault occurred before they were 18 years old 7

13. Myths about Rape Rape is a crime of passion Women want to be raped
Women are raped only by strangers
Women could avoid rape if they really wanted to
Women cry rape for revenge
Rapists are crazy or psychotic
Most rapists are a different race than their victims
Men cannot control their sexual urges
Rape is “no big deal”
Men cannot be raped

14. Forms of Rape Date rape Stranger rape Marital rape Gang rape
Statutory rape
Male rape 8

15. Date Rape Usually not planned
Drug/alcohol use by assailant or victim in 70% of cases
Lifetime incidence for women 13-27%
Confusion over consent
Post refusal sexual persistence
A date raper profile
Acquaintance rape

16. Motivations for Rape Anger rape Power rape Sadistic rape
Physically violent, victims often hospitalized
Power rape
Act of dominance to restore assailant’s sense of control
Sadistic rape
Brutal, victim often severely injured
Least frequent

17. The Aftermath of Rape
African American women less likely than Whites to report rape, seek treatment
Rape trauma syndrome
Depression, anxiety, restlessness, guilt
Symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
31% of rape victims develop PTSD
Effects on sexuality
Fear of sex, lack of desire

18. Child Sexual Abuse
Any sexual interaction between an adult and a prepubertal child—including nonphysical contact
Extra familial: abuse by unrelated people
Intra familial: abuse by relatives, step relatives
Nonpedophilic: abuse—abuse not sexually motivated, usually to get power, affection
May involve force, threat, manipulation, pressure
Most victims 8-12 years old; boys and girls equally likely to be abused 9

19. Preconditions for Child Sexual Abuse
Emotional congruence: fulfills some emotional need
Sexual attraction to the child
Blockage: does not find alternative sexual outlets
Overcoming internal inhibitions against acting on motivation
Overcoming external obstacles to committing sexual abuse
Undermining or overcoming a child’s potential resistance

20. Intra-familial Sexual Abuse
Incest
Father-daughter sexual abuse
Brother-sister sexual abuse
Uncle-niece sexual abuse
Most common form 10

21. Children at Risk Female children Preadolescent children (ages 10-12)
Children who are vulnerable because
they are separated from their parents
their parents cannot supervise them
their relationships with parents are poor
their parents are unavailable
their parents are in conflict
they live with a stepfather 11

22. Initial Effects of Child Sexual Abuse
Emotional disturbances
Fear, anger, hostility, guilt, shame
Physical consequences
Changes in sleeping, eating, pregnancy, STIs
Sexual disturbances
Open masturbation, sexual preoccupation
Social disturbances
School problems, running away, early marriages 12

23. Long-term Effects of Sexual Abuse
Depression
Self-destructive tendencies
Somatic disturbances and dissociation
Negative self-concept—low self-esteem, isolation
Interpersonal relationship difficulties
Revictimization: raped again as adult
Sexual problems 13

24. Sexual Abuse Trauma Traumatic sexualization Betrayal Powerlessness
Inappropriately associate sexual behaviors and emotions
Betrayal
Adult survivors find trust difficult, may become dependent or angry
Powerlessness
Fear, anxiety, sense of not control
Stigmatization
Guilt, shame

25. Treatment Programs Therapy with intact family
Help family come to terms with the abuse
Treat individuals as well as family
May include substance abuse programs
Self help programs

26. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Children
Stress that abuse is not the child’s fault
Say no, get away, tell a trusted adult
Parents
Help parents discover abuse, identify warning signs
Professionals
Teachers, physicians, police, mental health workers 14