Similarities between men and women in non-traditional aggressive sexuality: Prevalence, novel approaches to assessment and treatment applications

Surveys and focus groups were administered to two samples of US university undergraduates to compare sexual aggression prevalence as assessed based on the Power-Assertion model (n=139) versus the Confluence model (n=318). Men were more likely to commit all illegal acts, especially conventional rape. Women also committed illegal acts, especially non-traditional behaviours such as forcing the victim to initiate sexual contact. Men and women committed similar rates of verbal coercion. However, conventional lying and pressuring were not as common as harassing someone through e-mails/calls, manipulating the victim's social network, stalking and using pledges, bets or dares. The Confluence model was found to fit the data more effectively. We must expand beyond traditional conceptualizations of perpetrators, behaviours and treatment methods to address the current state of affairs. Non-traditional notions were especially valuable as they were based on the comments of young adults about what was missing from the traditional perspective.