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Predictors of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration Among Polish University Students: A Longitudinal Study

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Abstract

This two-wave study investigated predictors of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration in a convenience sample of 318 Polish university students (214 women), considering males and females from the perspective of both victims and perpetrators. At T1, we assessed participants’ risky sexual scripts (defined as cognitive representations of consensual sexual interactions containing elements related to sexual aggression), risky sexual behavior, pornography use, religiosity, sexual self-esteem, and attitudes toward sexual coercion. These variables were used to predict sexual aggression perpetration and victimization reports obtained 12 months later (T2) for two time windows: (a) since the age of 15 until a year ago and (b) in the past year. As expected, risky sexual scripts were linked to risky sexual behavior and indirectly increased the likelihood of victimization in both time windows. Lower sexual self-esteem predicted sexual victimization since age 15, but not in the past 12 months. Pornography use and religiosity indirectly predicted victimization via risky scripts and behavior. Attitudes toward sexual coercion were a prospective predictor of sexual aggression perpetration. The results extend the international literature on sexual aggression and have implications for sexual education and sexual aggression prevention programs.

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  1. A demo version of the SAV-S can be found at http://www.w-lab.de/sav-s.html. The Polish version is available from the first author on request.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Zbigniew Izdebski.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

    Paulina Tomaszewska & Barbara Krahé

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  1. Paulina Tomaszewska
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  2. Barbara Krahé
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Correspondence to Paulina Tomaszewska.

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Tomaszewska, P., Krahé, B. Predictors of Sexual Aggression Victimization and Perpetration Among Polish University Students: A Longitudinal Study. Arch Sex Behav 47, 493–505 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0823-2

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