Processes and patterns in gay, lesbian, and bisexual sexual assault: a multimethodological assessment

'Show Us a Kiss!': The Everyday Sexual Harassment Experiences of Female Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Students

This study explored the experiences of lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) students' (N = 9, aged 19-24) of sexual harassment via semistructured interviews. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: (a) the paradox of men's unwanted sexual attention, (b) the negative impact on relationships, and (c) the LGBTQ* community as a refuge. The women reported enduring unwanted heteronormative sexual attention, and heterosexist and homophobic harassment which forced some to conceal their sexuality. Support for the LGBTQ* community was central in developing confidence to call-out harassment. The findings call for the inclusion of LBQ-specific messages in sexual violence awareness and prevention interventions.

A Qualitative Account of Coping Following Non-Consensual Sexual Experiences among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

Sexual consent among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) has not been thoroughly documented in the academic literature. Research has suggested that GBMSM incur a greater risk for experiencing non-consensual sexual experiences (NSEs) compared to heterosexual, cis-gendered men. Despite the high prevalence of NSEs impacting this population, little research has been conducted on how GBMSM cope after NSEs. The purpose of this study was to examine how GBMSM cope following NSEs. Responses were analyzed from 206 GBMSM, aged 18-77 (M = 31.84), recruited across Canada. Participants completed an online survey, answering open-ended questions on experiences of NSEs and how they coped afterward. Guidelines for thematic analysis were followed to analyze the responses, indicating that GBMSM cope both maladaptively (e.g., avoidance, withdrawal from social networks and sexual relationships) and adaptively (e.g., seeking therapy, social support) following NSEs. Some participants were affected by and needed to cope with their NSEs over a longer term (e.g., ongoing rumination, enjoying sexual and intimate relationships less). Participants used a range of coping skills and showed openness to reach out for help from formal and informal sources, but also noted that resources were not always accessible or culturally sensitive to GBMSM's needs. Responses are discussed in the context of barriers to effective coping, such as perceptions of masculinity and maladaptive sexual scripts.

"Blue balls" and sexual coercion: a survey study of genitopelvic pain after sexual arousal without orgasm and its implications for sexual advances

Background

Blue balls/vulva has received increasing interest from the public in recent years, sparking debate about genital physiology, controversy around "sexual release" as a treatment for this type of pain, and sexual consent.

Aim

This cross-sectional, mixed-methods online study aimed to evaluate the general understanding and frequency of blue balls/vulva and whether individuals have ever been pressured to continue sexual activity because of a partner's fears of experiencing pain without orgasm.

Methods

A total of 2621 individuals with a penis (n = 1483) or vagina (n = 1138) were recruited for an online survey on the experience of "blue balls/vulva." Quantitative analyses consisted primarily of descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses. Between-group differences were analyzed (based on whether respondents reported having a penis or vagina), and responses to open-ended questions were examined via thematic analysis.

Outcomes

The primary outcomes of interest were reports of the belief in blue balls/vulva, the frequency and pain characteristics of blue balls/vulva, and the incidence of being pressured to continue sexual activity due to a partner's fears of experiencing pain without orgasm.

Results

Results indicated that significantly more individuals with a penis than a vagina reported believing that blue balls are real, endorsed experiencing pain when they approached orgasm but did not ejaculate, and reported moderate and severe pain. Significantly more individuals with a vagina than a penis reported being pressured into a sexual act due to a partner's fear of experiencing pain without orgasm. Results from the thematic analysis indicated that participants recognized that those with a vagina are expected to act sexually to prevent their partners' experience of blue balls, despite agreement that this phenomenon should not be used to coerce or manipulate partners into engaging sexually.

Clinical Implications

Education on the frequency of this phenomenon and methods to relieve pain alternative to partnered sexual activity should be addressed in patients who present with this condition.

Strengths and Limitations

Although the survey was brief, it provided information from a relatively large sample about whether people believe that this phenomenon exists, how many experience it, how painful it is, and how often it has been used as an excuse for a partner to continue sexual activity.

Conclusion

Results indicated that severe pain exists in a minority of individuals, that solitary sexual and nonsexual activities can help to alleviate the discomfort, and that this pain is not a valid reason to continue unwanted sexual activity.

The Double Standard Toward Female and Male Victims of Non-consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images

Non-consensual dissemination of intimate images (NCII) is a growing problem of sexual violence with grave consequences for victims. However, despite recent criminalization and civil and legal sanctions, there is reason to suspect that the majority of NCII cases remain unreported. The reasons for that may be similar to the ones accounting for under-reporting in cases of physical sexual violence and are tied to society's attitude toward victims. Being a relatively new form of violence, psychological research on perceptions of NCII victims and offenders is scarce. The purpose of the present study was to extend the current knowledge by comparing perceptions toward female and male victims of NCII, while manipulating the victim's role in producing the intimate material. Drawing on rape research, it was hypothesized that gender stereotypes interact with victims' sex and behavior to influence the way victims are perceived. Five-hundred and thirty-nine male and female students were presented with a scenario depicting an NCII offense in which the intimate material was either self-generated by the victim (selfies) or stealth-taken by the victim's ex-intimate partner. Victim and offender sex were also manipulated. The findings indicate a differential treatment toward female and male victims of NCII, depending on their role in the taking of the intimate images. More blaming was attributed toward a female victim whose intimate images were self-taken, in comparison to all other research conditions, and negative feelings toward her were the highest as well. These blame attributions, as well as negative feelings toward female victims, were particularly high on the side of male participants. The findings are interpreted as reflecting perceptions of traditional gender roles and a double standard toward female and male sexual behavior.

Forcible, Substance-facilitated, and Incapacitated Sexual Assault Among University Women: A Canadian Sample

This study examined the frequency of sexual assault experiences in a sample of university women to understand the conditions under which sexual assault occurs, and compare alcohol and drug consumption patterns on the likelihood of experiencing sexual victimization. While patterns of victimization have been examined in American contexts, research on contemporary Canadian contexts is scant at present. We found that roughly 58% of the 377 university women in our sample attending one of three large Western Canadian universities in British Columbia reported having been sexually assaulted. These women reported a total of 528 incidents of sexual assault, with 56% of these involving substance-related nonpenetrative sex acts; 312 incidents were substance-related and 216 involved forcible sexual assault. The likelihood of sexual assault victimization was the highest among participants who identified as a sexual minority, consumed marijuana, and reported greater severity of recent alcohol consumption. The present research aims to inform sexual assault prevention and education efforts to reduce occurrences of victimization.

Sexual Violence and Chemsex among Substance-Using Sexual and Gender Minorities in Texas

Chemsex is the use of methamphetamine or other substances to enhance sexual experiences, and is most often associated with sexual minority men. Within the chemsex literature, questions of sexual violence emerge due, in part, to ambiguity about what constitutes consent within sexualized environments with co-occurring substance use. To understand the context in which sexual violence occurs, data from an online survey of sexual and gender minority Texans were analyzed using bivariate and logistic regression (N = 1273), and qualitative interviews with substance-using sexual minority men from a separate sample were thematically analyzed (N = 22). Among survey participants, 12.8% experienced a form of sexual violence (10.1% experienced intimate partner violence and 7.6% experienced sexual assault). When participants were categorized based on past year substance use and sex party attendance, 48.0% of participants who used drugs and attended sex parties (a proxy for chemsex) experienced sexual violence (41.6% experienced intimate partner violence and 41.0% experienced sexual assault). When variables statistically significant at the bivariate-level were entered into logistic regression models, participants in the chemsex category were 12.5 [95% CI: 6.9, 22.8] times more likely to experience sexual violence. Substance-using sexual minority men experiencing sexual violence describe situations in which consent is difficult to revoke and sexual exploitation is likely to occur. Studies which more deeply explore the relationship between sexual and relationship violence and chemsex among sexual and gender minorities are needed. Particularly, the notion of consent needs further conceptualization in the context of drug use and sex parties.

HIGHLIGHTS

Measures of recent substance use and sex party attendance were combined to create a proxy measure for chemsex, which is the use of substances to enhance sexual experiences.Substance-using sexual and gender minorities engaging in chemsex were at increased risk of sexual violence.In addition to engaging in chemsex, variables associated with an increased odds of sexual violence among sexual and gender minorities were younger age, having a non-monosexual sexual identity, and receiving a mental health diagnoses.Studies on sexual and gender minorities engaging in chemsex should be developed to further explore sexual exploitation.

Intervening in a "Sketchy Situation": Exploring the Moral Motivations of College Bystanders of Sexual Assault

This mixed-methods research explored the moral motivations of undergraduates who identified as bystanders in a situation of potential sexual assault. In the quantitative analysis, we examined the difference between interveners and noninterveners with regard to their scores on the Moral Foundations Questionnaire-30 Item (MFQ-30), which considers five moral foundations from Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) of care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, and sanctity/degradation, as well as measures of bystander attitudes (BAS-R) and rape-myth acceptance (IRMA, modified). Participants who failed to intervene had significantly higher scores on the loyalty/betrayal subscale of the MFQ-30, and showed a trend toward "conservative" values comprising the latter three MFT foundations. Intervening bystanders were also more likely to endorse bystander attitudes, and less likely to endorse rape-myth supporting beliefs. The qualitative analysis examined brief narratives in which participants described their bystander experience and reasoning in the moment. Analysis found a remarkable flexibility with which each moral foundation could be used to support either intervention or abstention. We argue that emphasizing conservative values (based on loyalty, purity, and/or authority) in addition to the typical liberal (justice-based and anti-harm) reasoning may bolster bystander interventions meant to reach all students.

Queering nursing curricula: Understanding and increasing attention to LGBTQIA+ health needs

BACKGROUND

The LGBTQIA+ community has a long history of marginalization, disenfranchisement, and structural violence within the healthcare sector. Sexual and gender minority individuals may be wary of disclosing sexuality-related information to providers, and providers may not have received education on creating therapeutic relationships with these individuals.

PURPOSE

This paper explores factors that shape LGBTQIA+ individuals' daily lives and how these may influence care encounters. We argue for broadening nursing education to incorporate more specific and efficacious LGBTQIA+ education.

DISCUSSION

We propose that consideration of LGBTQIA+ care in nursing education is an important means of meeting the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing. We further suggest specific strategies for so doing.

CONCLUSION

Attending to the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ populations when developing and planning nursing education activities assures that newly-graduated nurses can be safe, effective, and nonjudgmental providers of care to a variety of populations.

Providing and Receiving Sexual Assault Disclosures: Findings From a Sexually Diverse Sample of Young Adults

This study utilized a sample of primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ)-identified young adults from across the United States to pilot test a new instrument, the Reactions Provided to Disclosures Questionnaire (RPDQ), and assess the disclosure experience for both those who provide and those who receive disclosures of sexual assault. Results indicate that the experience of sexual assault disclosure in the LGBQ community is similar to the heterosexual community in that most victims disclose their assaults, most often to a friend, and were most likely to receive the reaction Emotional Support. Victims were also likely to receive the reaction Victim Blaming, especially if they disclosed to formal sources, such as law enforcement, medical, or religious personnel. This study also examined the relationship between the types of assault experienced and disclosure reactions received. Experiencing an anal assault was significantly associated with Victim Blaming reactions. A central aim of this study was to examine how respondents who received (rather than provided) a disclosure reacted, a question not been adequately addressed in prior literature. The RPDQ (a modification of Ullman's Social Reactions Questionnaire), which was piloted here, factored in to five types of reactions: Emotional Support, Affectionate Support, Empathetic Support, Tangible Aid and Information Support, and Egocentric Reactions. Sexual assault survivors were more likely to report that they provided Emotional Support and Affectionate Support after receiving a disclosure than were nonsurvivors.

Sexual Violence Among College Students: An Examination of Individual and Institutional Level Factors Associated With Perpetration

BACKGROUND

Sexual violence incidents involving college students have received media attention and increased awareness of this public health problem in the United States; prevention efforts are needed that target potential perpetrators. We examined characteristics of self-reported perpetrators of sexual violence on campuses.

METHODS

This study used a secondary data analysis of the 2015 College Student Health Survey, an annual survey, which was completed by students attending 17 colleges/universities in Minnesota. The analytic sample included 6,548 18-to 24-year-old college students who answered at least one of two questions assessing perpetration in the past 12 months (i.e., sex/sexual touch without consent). Chi-square tests were used to detect associations between perpetration and individual (e.g., age, race, substance use, victimization) and institutional (e.g., school type, location) level characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified predictive models for being a perpetrator of sexual violence.

RESULTS

Fifty-two students reported perpetration of sexual violence in the past year, including 29 rapes. Overall, self-reported perpetrators of sexual violence are more likely to be men, to have been a victim in his or her lifetime, to have smoked marijuana in the past 12 months (but not the past month), and to be younger (18 or 19 years old). Institutional level characteristics, including school type and location, did not yield significant associations with perpetration.

DISCUSSION

Sexual violence prevention and response efforts toward college students need to be inclusive, especially targeting individual level factors, and considerate of the victimization-perpetration comorbidity experienced by many students.

School Indicators of Violence Experienced and Feeling Unsafe of Dutch LGB Versus Non-LGB Secondary Students and Staff, 2006-2010

Gender and sexual orientation are expressed in heterosexual, lesbian (L), gay (G), bisexual (B), transgender (T), or queer (Q) interests and behavior. Compared with heterosexual persons, LGBTQ persons seem to experience more antisocial behavior, including negative discrimination and violence. To assess differences in LGBTQ-related discrimination in schools, the question for this research is "Do the degrees of violence experienced and feeling unsafe of LGBTQ students and staff in a school differ from those of non-LGBTQ students and staff in the same school?" Secondary analysis was carried out on data from a Dutch national digital monitor survey on safety in secondary schools. In 2006, 2008, and 2010, participation amounted to 570 schools, 18,300 teaching and support staff, and 216,000 students. Four indicators were constructed at the school level: two Mokken Scale means assessing severity of violence experienced and two Alpha Scale means assessing feeling unsafe. Analysis of mean differences showed that LGB students experienced more violence and felt less safe than non-LGB students; LGB staff felt less safe in school than non-LGB staff. When LGB students experienced more violence at school than non-LGB students, LGB students also felt less safe than non-LGB students for all 3 years. No such relationships existed for LGB staff, or between LGB staff and LGB students. No significant relationships were found between the four LGB school indicators and contextual school variables. The outcomes and uniqueness of the study are discussed. Recommendations are made to improve assessment and promote prosocial behavior of students and staff in schools.

A New Model for Sexual Assault Protection

Sexual assault self-protection programs often address either broad educational goals (e.g., alcohol awareness, gender, and safety) or are restricted to the practice of violent hands-on self-protection techniques. Enrollment is almost entirely restricted to female audiences, in spite of a high risk of assault among gay men. We describe the development of Elemental, a sexual assault protection program, wherein we undertook a sociologically grounded yet multidisciplinary approach to produce a holistic and inclusive program that teaches a variety of response options, including nonviolent physical and verbal techniques. Through the use of survey data from program participants and a control group, we present results of initial longitudinal tests of the efficacy of the program. Directions for further testing and development are discussed.