Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Sexual coercion is a prevalent and problematic aspect of adolescent women’s sexual experiences, with nationally representative data reporting that 15% of adolescent women were forced by a romantic partner to do sexual things they did not want to do in the past year. However, little is known about how the length of a given adolescent relationship may impact ongoing instances of sexual coercion, and what impact these repeated instances have on the emotional and behavioral characteristics of a given relationship. Accordingly, the current study examines the impact of relationship length on relationship attributes and behaviors within adolescent women’s romantic relationships with repeated experiences of sexual coercion and compares these associations between age groups. Data for the current study were drawn from a larger, longitudinal cohort study (N = 385); utilizing quarterly interviews (N = 5151) that were administered from 1999-2009. Relationship timing of initial and repeat experiences of sexual coercion are discussed. Specifically, our findings suggest that within relationships with repeat experiences of sexual coercion, longer relationship length decreases sexual satisfaction and condom use, while simultaneously increasing vaginal intercourse and the odds of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection.

Thesis advisor: Alyssa Goldman / This research aims to investigate if the undergraduate Greek life involvement percentage on college campuses can influence the vernacular and phrasing found in sexual harassment policies in universities. A matching approach is utilized to compare schools with similar geographic locations, undergraduate population sizes, religious affiliation and status as a public or private school, who only differ in what percentage of their undergraduate population is involved in Greek life. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação foi instrumentalizar pesquisas em assertividade sexual no Brasil. Para isso foram realizados dois estudos, o primeiro foi uma revisão sistemática buscando por ensaios clínicos randomizados que tivessem uma intervenção com desfecho em assertividade sexual, e quais suas principais características e fatores que mais impactariam neste resultado. Retornaram 10 estudos revisados, com nove intervenções diferentes e envolvendo 1285 participantes no total. Uma meta-análise apontou que comparado ao grupo controle, todas as intervenções experimentais foram efetivas, fossem estudos exclusivamente com adolescentes estadunidenses ou com adultos iranianos, esse último grupo apresentando alta heterogeneidade em seus resultados. O segundo estudo se propôs a investigar as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Assertividade Sexual para mulheres brasileiras. Foi conduzida uma pesquisa transversal que contou com 1031 mulheres, com mulheres que tiveram relações sexuais recentes e outras que não. Verificamos que o instrumento é psicometricamente aceitável e possui bons índices de ajuste, e não apresentou diferença de resposta nesses dois grupos de mulheres. Evidencia-se assim que a assertividade sexual é uma habilidade social com diversos benefícios a autonomia sexual, portanto integrar e expandir seu desenvolvimento no Brasil pode impactar positivamente na saúde sexual da população, além de termos uma medida que pode ser replicada em estudos e na prática clínica, verificando essas mudanças na assertividade sexual. / [en] The objective of this dissertation was to provide tools for research on sexual assertiveness in Brazil. To this end, two studies were conducted. The first was a systematic review searching for randomized clinical trials with an intervention with an outcome in sexual assertiveness, and their main characteristics and factors that would most impact this result. Ten reviewed studies were returned, with nine different interventions and involving 1,285 participants in total. A meta-analysis showed that compared to the control group, all experimental interventions were effective, whether studies exclusively with American adolescents or with Iranian adults, the latter group presenting high heterogeneity in their results. The second study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Sexual Assertiveness Scale for Brazilian women. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,031 women, including women who had recent sexual intercourse and others who had not. We found that the instrument is psychometrically acceptable has good adjustment indices, and did not present a difference in response in these two groups of women. It is thus evident that sexual assertiveness is a social skill with several benefits to sexual autonomy, therefore integrating and expanding its development in Brazil can have a positive impact on the sexual health of the population, in addition to having a measure that can be replicated in studies and clinical practice, verifying these changes in sexual assertiveness.

Individual factors that might influence the way sexual abuse is defined and perceived within a culture include gender, the extent to which one adheres to and internalizes traditional roles, and levels of acculturation. The underlying assumption in many studies regarding child sexual abuse is that there is a correlation between perception of abuse and abusive behaviour – a positive mind-set towards abuse may lead to abusive behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore what the perception of adolescent males were regarding sexual abuse in order for social workers to have a better understanding of the adolescent male regarding sexual abuse. Interviews were conducted with 20 adolescent males to gain a keener insight into their perception of sexual abuse. From the data received it was found that adolescent males do not have adequate knowledge regarding the broader definition of sexual abuse, and that misconceptions still persist. The respondents‟ main source of information regarding sex and sexual abuse was the school. The sex education focuses mainly on anatomical and physiological information and lacks information on sexual abuse and sexual values. From data received, it was also found that the majority of parents never spoke to the adolescent males about sex; the respondents received no education from their parents concerning sexual abuse. A holistic approach is necessary when educating the adolescent male, which entails a comprehensive sexual education that focuses on sexual abuse, sexual values and preventative behaviour. A holistic approach requires sexual education provided in the home, the school as well as the community. It should consist of an integration of informal and formal education. Other organisations in the community such as NGO‟s, counselling centres and medical support centres should also form part of this holistic approach as they can offer valuable assistance. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Individual factors that might influence the way sexual abuse is defined and perceived within a culture include gender, the extent to which one adheres to and internalizes traditional roles, and levels of acculturation. The underlying assumption in many studies regarding child sexual abuse is that there is a correlation between perception of abuse and abusive behaviour – a positive mind-set towards abuse may lead to abusive behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore what the perception of adolescent males were regarding sexual abuse in order for social workers to have a better understanding of the adolescent male regarding sexual abuse. Interviews were conducted with 20 adolescent males to gain a keener insight into their perception of sexual abuse. From the data received it was found that adolescent males do not have adequate knowledge regarding the broader definition of sexual abuse, and that misconceptions still persist. The respondents‟ main source of information regarding sex and sexual abuse was the school. The sex education focuses mainly on anatomical and physiological information and lacks information on sexual abuse and sexual values. From data received, it was also found that the majority of parents never spoke to the adolescent males about sex; the respondents received no education from their parents concerning sexual abuse. A holistic approach is necessary when educating the adolescent male, which entails a comprehensive sexual education that focuses on sexual abuse, sexual values and preventative behaviour. A holistic approach requires sexual education provided in the home, the school as well as the community. It should consist of an integration of informal and formal education. Other organisations in the community such as NGO‟s, counselling centres and medical support centres should also form part of this holistic approach as they can offer valuable assistance. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Published Articles / Central University of Technology (CUT) holds awareness campaigns on yearly basis to educate and test students on health related issues. Basic knowledge about the spread of HIV and safe sexual practices has a critical impact on prevention of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other associated diseases such as TB. The problem among students at higher education institutions (HEIs) is that they are a high risk group of contracting HIV infection due to uninformed decisions that they end up making. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of CUT students towards HIV, sexual transmitted infections (STIs) and sexuality. A cross sectional survey of 120 randomly selected undergraduate students (73 females, 47 males, aged 18-25 years) was performed. Questionnaires were used to assess the knowledge and attitude of the students towards HIV and AIDS. Generated knowledge and attitude scores from the student responses and gender variable were used to study their association. Students had heard about HIV, and 93% understood that HIV is not curable. Ninety percent of the students were aware of the symptoms of STIs, and some didn't know that STIs are associated with an increased chances of having HIV. Participants were well informed about selected aspects of HIV. A high number of participants were conversant with the modes of spread of HIV and the use of condoms in preventing STIs and HIV infection. The gap of knowledge between males and females, and the way they attend to the testing facility suggests the need for targeting males in the national awareness campaigns. The Medical Center should continue to host and fund health awareness campaigns because they play a major role as source of information.

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Anecdotal observations among clinicians and laypersons suggest that some men who have been sexually abused by men as children experience more homosexual sexual attraction and engage in more homosexual sexual behavior than men who have not been sexually abused. These men often report feeling “confused” about their sexuality. Some men also report believing that there is a relationship between their homosexual feelings and behaviors and their sexual abuse as children. Moreover, research in the area of sexual abuse reveals that disproportionately more men with sexual abuse histories identify as gay and bisexual than men with non-sexual abuse histories, especially when the perpetrator of the abuse was male. However, very few studies have specifically explored the relationship between sexual orientation and sexual abuse. The proposed study will examine the relationship between sexual orientation in men and their reports of childhood sexual abuse by males. Additionally, the proposed study will distinguish between those individuals that have interpreted their childhood sexual experiences as negative (or abusive) and those who have not. Past research in this topic has categorized participants as “abused” based on a set of predetermined benchmarks (e.g., age differential, specific acts performed, etc.,) while not including the individual’s subjective account/interpretation of the experience. This research will consider how the distinction between intergenerational sexual contact that is experienced as abusive and intergenerational sexual contact that is not experienced as abusive relates to sexual orientation and sexual identity. / text

Recent research suggests that, while up to 58% of women may experience significant difficulties with sexual function, only a third of these difficulties are associated with clinically relevant levels of subjective distress, suggesting a complex relationship between these two factors. We have relatively little understanding as to when sexual difficulties are distressing to women and why some difficulties are distressing while others are not. The current project aimed to begin answering these questions in a number of ways. First, I attempted to replicate previous findings regarding moderators of the association between sexual function and subjective distress. Second, I attempted identify the behavioral and cognitive mechanisms through which sexual impairments cause distress. Participants were 87 adult women from the local community who reported recurrent impairments in sexual function in the past month, and who were currently in sexually-active heterosexual relationships. Participants completed in-person diagnostic interviews and validated self-report measures before completing four weeks of daily online questionnaires assessing their sexual and relational experiences. Results provided additional support for previously identified moderators including relational satisfaction, age, and history of childhood sexual abuse. Additionally, a number of factors mediated the association between sexual function and distress within individuals over time. Specifically, a majority of the statistical effect of sexual function on subjective distress was accounted for by the degree to which impaired sexual function decreased the physical pleasure experienced by the individual during sexual activity. Other consequences of impaired sexual function such as decreased frequency of sexual activity and negative emotional reactions by the partner did not mediate this association. These findings add to theories of sexual dysfunction by taking into account the important ways in which sexual impairments play out in the context of romantic relationships. The results also may explain mechanisms through which current treatments for sexual dysfunction decrease sexual distress, potentially improving our ability to focus interventions on the factors that are of greatest importance to patients. / text