Forcible Sexual Behavior and Sexual Harassment

Adolescent Development Chapter 6: Sexuality Problematic Sexual Outcomes in Adolescence (Part 2)

Too many adolescent girls and young women report that they believe they don’t have adequate sexual rights.

These include:

The right to not have sexual intercourse when they don’t wish to do so.

The right to tell partners that they are being too rough.

The right to use any form of birth control during intercourse.

Forcible Sexual Behavior 1

Rape: forcible sexual intercourse with a person who does not give consent

Legal definitions of rape vary from state to state.

Because of the difficulties involved in reporting rape, the actual incidence is not easily determined.

Why is rape so pervasive in the American culture?

Feminist writers assert that males are socialized to be sexually aggressive, to regard females as inferior beings, and to view their own pleasure as the most important objective in any sexual encounter.

Forcible Sexual Behavior 2

Researchers have found the following characteristics common among rapists:

Aggression enhances their sense of power or masculinity.

They are generally angry at females.

They want to hurt their victims.

Forcible Sexual Behavior 3

Date/acquaintance rape: coercive sexual activity directed at someone whom the perpetrator knows

A form of rape that went unacknowledged until recent decades.

Acquaintance rape is an increasing problem in high schools and on college campuses.

Forcible Sexual Behavior 4

Factors associated with sexual victimization:

Living on campus.

Being unmarried.

Getting drunk frequently.

Having been sexually victimized on a prior occasion.

A number of colleges and universities have identified a “red zone”—a period of time early in the first year of college when women are at especially high risk of unwanted sexual experiences.

FIGURE: COMPLETED RAPE AND ATTEMPTED RAPE OF COLLEGE WOMEN ACCORDING TO VICTIM–OFFENDER RELATIONSHIP

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Forcible Sexual Behavior 5

Rape is a traumatic experience for victims and those closer to them.

As victims strive to get their lives back to normal, they might experience depression, fear, anxiety, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts for months or years.

A girl’s or woman’s recovery depends on both her coping abilities and her psychological adjustment prior to the assault.

Sexual Harassment 1

Girls and women encounter sexual harassment in many different forms—ranging from sexist remarks and covert physical contact (patting, brushing against bodies) to blatant propositions and sexual assaults.

Sexual Harassment 2

A national survey on adolescent relationships found the following percentages of adolescents who were involved in various types of relationship abuse:

Relationship abuse: 68% had experienced it; 62% had perpetrated.

Psychological abuse: 64% had been victims.

Sexual abuse: 18% reported being the victim; 12% had perpetrated.

Sexual harassment: 31% had been victims; 11% had perpetrated (13% had been victims of online sexual harassment; 4% had perpetrated).

Sexual Harassment 3

Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when a school employee threatens to base an educational decision (such as a grade) on a student’s submission to unwelcome sexual conduct.

Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when students are subjected to unwelcome sexual conduct that is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it limits the students’ ability to benefit from their education.