The Role of Dysfunctional Sexual Beliefs and Sexual Self-Esteem in Sexual Aggression: A Study with Male College Students

Factors affecting sexual-self-esteem among Iranian women

Introduction

The quality of marital relationships is positively impacted by women's sexual self-esteem. This study aims to determine the factors that affect sexual self-esteem among Iranian women.

Methods

A total of 1176 eligible women who have been referred to comprehensive healthcare centers of Rasht, participated in this analytical cross-sectional study. A stratified two-stage cluster sampling methodology was applied to achieve samples. Data were collected using a validated Persian version of the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory in Women-Short Form and related factors checklist.

Results

The mean sexual self-esteem score of the respondents was 103.97(SD =5.29) in this study. Education level of the woman (B = 2.622, P < 0.032), employment status of the woman (B= 9.24, P < 0.01), duration of the marriage (B = 11.47, P < 0.01), body image (B = 3.446, P < 0.01), childhood sexual abuse experiences (B = -0.363, P < 0.01), was related with sexual self-esteem. The sexual self-esteem score increased with an increase in higher levels of education, employment of women, an increase in the duration of the marriage, and a positive body image. However, there was an inverse relationship between the experience of childhood sexual abuse and sexual self-esteem.

Conclusions

The findings revealed that sexual self-esteem in women is influenced by background, intrapersonal, and interpersonal factors that should be approached in education, counseling, and therapy.

Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale across Male and Female Portuguese College Students

There is growing interest on the topic of Sexual Violence (SV) perpetrated by community samples; movements, as the Me Too, have triggered such focus. Researching the validity of core SV measures is now fundamental. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the structure of the Portuguese version of the Sexually Aggressive Behaviors Scale (SABS-PT) while testing for measurement invariance across gender. The SABS-PT was tested among a sample of 2540 Portuguese college students (48.5% males and 51.5% females). All participants identified as heterosexual, and their ages ranged between 18 and 39 years old. To assess the construct validity and test for measurement invariance across gender, single and multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed. Results support the internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity of the SABS-PT in relation to external variables. Overall, the findings suggest a good fit of data to the model. The partial scalar invariance of the measurement was obtained and further analyses on latent means differences indicated that men scored higher on SV compared to women. The SABS-PT may constitute a useful instrument for screening sexual initiation by aggressive means and associated risk factors and may play an important role as an outcome measure in programs preventing sexual violence.