Sexual Coercion and Victimization of College Men: The Role of Love Styles

• NCJ Number: 209501
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 273-285
• Author(s): Brenda L. Russell; Debra L. Oswald
• Date Published: March 2002
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 14257
• Sponsoring Agency: University of Illinois; National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In examining the role of love styles in sexual coercion, this study hypothesized that men who use sexually coercive tactics with women will embrace a "Ludic" style of love, which involves an uninhibited, detached, and uncommitted attitude toward romance, viewing "love" as a game.

Abstract

A total of 173 men were recruited from undergraduate courses at a private Midwestern university. Participants were administered the Sexual Experience Survey (SES), which is a self-report assessment of sexual history, sexual victimization, and sexual aggression. Respondents received two forms of the SES, one that identified perpetrators of sexually coercive behaviors and one that identified victims. Participants were also administered the Love Attitudes Scale (LAS), which measures Lee's (1973) six love styles, including the "Ludic" style. A total of 63 participants (36.4 percent) reported engaging in at least 1 coercive behavior to obtain sexual intercourse and were therefore classified as sexually coercive. The three most frequently used coercive behaviors were saying things they didn't mean about their feelings toward the woman, becoming so sexually aroused they overpowered an unwilling woman, and by persistently arguing with the woman until her resistance diminished. Twenty-five (14.5 percent) men reported being a victim of physically aggressive sexual coercion; 20 (11.6 percent) reported being victims of sexual coercion through verbal aggression; and 30 (17.5 percent) reported being a victim of both verbal and physical aggression. Men who reported using coercive strategies were more likely to endorse the Ludus (game-playing love) love style and were less likely to endorse "Agape" (unconditional love) than noncoercive men. Men who reported the love styles of "Storge" (a friendship-first attitude) and "Pragma" (a selective, practical approach to love) were more likely to report being victims of sexually coercive behaviors. The men who reported being sexually victimized were also more likely to report using coercive strategies. 3 tables and 32 references