Reducing Sexual Aggression in Male College Students: An Investigation of Self-help Interventions
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Kent
Department Name: Sch of Psychology
Abstract
Compared to national averages, the incident rate of male-perpetrated sexual offences is worryingly high on UK university campuses. Despite this, there have been no established interventions designed to help lower sexual offence rates amongst male students. Interestingly, contemporary US research has suggested that emotional regulation deficits - a key risk factor for sexual offender recidivism - are also salient amongst university males . As such, interventions focussing on improving emotional management (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT], mindfulness) may provide an effective means of reducing sexual assaults on campuses. If designed to be self-led and made easily accessible (e.g., via an online portal), such interventions could bring about long-term reductions in sexual aggression amongst large groups of students.
Aims 1. To assess the efficacy of a low-intensity online CBT intervention and a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males; 2. To compare the efficacy of these interventions in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males; 3. To explore the mechanisms of change associated with either or both of the self-help interventions, if they are found to be effective.
Structure of PhD I will conduct at least four novel empirical studies to investigate the above aims. Participants will comprise university males, recruited online via voluntary sampling techniques, who self-report a proclivity towards sexual aggression on the attraction to sexual aggression scale4 . Participant numbers will be determined using a-priori power analyses. Note, all interventions described below will comprise online self-led courses that guide participants through a selection of 15 to 30-minute activities, which are to be completed over a four to six-week period. These activities will help participants to develop effective coping strategies to change their unhelpful cognitive patterns, and will be designed using key clinical literature.
Study One will assess the efficacy of a CBT intervention in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males. A 3 (Time: T1 vs. T2 vs. T3) x 2 (Group: Experimental vs. Control) mixed-design ANOVA will be used to compare participants' self-reported sexual aggression ratings - as measured using the attraction to sexual aggression scale4 - before, during, and after completion of the intervention. Significant interactions will be explored with post-hoc t-tests. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale , the Interpersonal Reactivity Index6 , and a research engagement scale will also be PhD Scholarship Application Form 6/11/2017 3 completed by participants to assess changes in emotional regulation and empathy, and level of participation in the interventions respectively.
Study Two will follow the same structure as Study One, but will assess the efficacy of an MBCT intervention in reducing sexual aggression. Study Three will then compare the efficacy of the CBT and MBCT interventions in reducing sexual aggression, and will provide an opportunity to replicate any significant effects. Study Four will explore whether particular factors mediate the relationship between the online CBT intervention and reductions in participants' sexual aggression. The hypothesized mediators - derived from clinical literature - will be assessed using relevant self-report measures completed by participants at T1 and T3 of Studies One and Two. Data will be analysed using the causal steps approach to mediation.
Aims 1. To assess the efficacy of a low-intensity online CBT intervention and a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) intervention in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males; 2. To compare the efficacy of these interventions in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males; 3. To explore the mechanisms of change associated with either or both of the self-help interventions, if they are found to be effective.
Structure of PhD I will conduct at least four novel empirical studies to investigate the above aims. Participants will comprise university males, recruited online via voluntary sampling techniques, who self-report a proclivity towards sexual aggression on the attraction to sexual aggression scale4 . Participant numbers will be determined using a-priori power analyses. Note, all interventions described below will comprise online self-led courses that guide participants through a selection of 15 to 30-minute activities, which are to be completed over a four to six-week period. These activities will help participants to develop effective coping strategies to change their unhelpful cognitive patterns, and will be designed using key clinical literature.
Study One will assess the efficacy of a CBT intervention in reducing sexual aggression amongst university males. A 3 (Time: T1 vs. T2 vs. T3) x 2 (Group: Experimental vs. Control) mixed-design ANOVA will be used to compare participants' self-reported sexual aggression ratings - as measured using the attraction to sexual aggression scale4 - before, during, and after completion of the intervention. Significant interactions will be explored with post-hoc t-tests. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale , the Interpersonal Reactivity Index6 , and a research engagement scale will also be PhD Scholarship Application Form 6/11/2017 3 completed by participants to assess changes in emotional regulation and empathy, and level of participation in the interventions respectively.
Study Two will follow the same structure as Study One, but will assess the efficacy of an MBCT intervention in reducing sexual aggression. Study Three will then compare the efficacy of the CBT and MBCT interventions in reducing sexual aggression, and will provide an opportunity to replicate any significant effects. Study Four will explore whether particular factors mediate the relationship between the online CBT intervention and reductions in participants' sexual aggression. The hypothesized mediators - derived from clinical literature - will be assessed using relevant self-report measures completed by participants at T1 and T3 of Studies One and Two. Data will be analysed using the causal steps approach to mediation.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Theresa Gannon (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Samuel Hales (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P00072X/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 2117875 | Studentship | ES/P00072X/1 | 01/10/2018 | 21/03/2022 | Samuel Hales |
| Description | To date, several key findings have emerged from our research. First, there are significant differences in the psychological characteristics of self-identified heterosexual male university students in the UK who self-report recent sexually aggressive behaviour (sexual aggressors; SAs) and their non-offending peers (non-sexual aggressors; NSAs). Specifically, SAs demonstrate higher levels of hostility towards women, rape myth acceptance, and aggression; lower self-efficacy in romantic relationships; more acute difficulties with emotion regulation (i.e., emotion dysregulation); and an increased likelihood to maintain atypical sexual fantasies. Early evidence also suggests that these psychological characteristics may differ between SAs studying at different universities nationwide, though this requires further empirical study. Predominantly, these findings mirror those from large-scale US campus sexual assault research studies, suggesting similarities between UK and US male students who possess a history of perpetrating sexual harm. Second, through multivariate logistic regression analyses, we discovered that male students' self-reported history of past sexual aggression could be reliably predicted - to varying degrees - by their scores on established measures of rape myth acceptance, atypical sexual fantasies, aggression, and hostility towards women. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis also revealed that our logistic regression models could discriminate between SAs and NSAs at a better-than-chance level. Again, these findings support empirical research with US college males; particularly, recent work into the confluence model of sexual aggression by Malamuth and colleagues. Third, the self-reported prevalence of sexual aggression, as perpetrated by heterosexual male university students, falls around 11.4% in the UK. This is notably higher than sexual aggression perpetrated by non-university males in the community, which falls around 7.3%, though mirrors prevalence as reported in the US, where researchers have shown that between 11.5% - 17.9% of male university students self-report recent sexual aggression. However, our figure is significantly lower than the rate of self-reported sexual aggression victimisation by female students, suggesting that our prevalence is either a conservative estimate or that sexually aggressive male students perpetrate multiple offences. Fourth, we provide initial evidence that SAs comprise a heterogenous forensic population, who can be classified into definable subgroups based on their responses on key psychological measures associated with their past sexual offending behaviours (namely, measures of hostility towards women, rape myth acceptance, and atypical sexual fantasies. We propose five subgroups of SA, which we preliminarily term "hostile excusers", "unremarkable aggressors", "hostile aggressors", "non-hostile fantasists", and "sexual fantasists". |
| Exploitation Route | We would encourage future empirical research into the psychological factors associated with past sexual aggression amongst UK male university students, to help guide intervention efforts and the development of more robust policy in the area. This includes larger cohort studies that seek to replicate the findings of our logistic regression study, as well as more in-depth work assessing the heterogeneity of self-reported SAs. Our research could be extended by assessing a broader range of psychological factors (e.g., more experiential and situationally-relevant factors), as well as by assessing sexual aggression perpetration longitudinally (versus cross-sectionally). We are currently exploring several avenues that would allow for further empirical investigation into university-based sexual aggression perpetration in the UK - to be funded under this award - which we will report on in future submissions. |
| Sectors | Other |
| Description | Blog post written for the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group's (PsyPAG) website based on my research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to write a blog piece based on my PhD topic/the topic of sexual violence at universities widely for PsyPAG's website. My blog was publicised via social media and resulted in some online discussion about sexual violence at HEIs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.psypag.co.uk/sexual-violence-in-uk-higher-education-a-psychologists-perspective/ |
| Description | Invited talk given as part of the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers' (NOTA) 4-day Webinar Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was invited to give a talk based on my PhD research as part of a postgraduate research session during the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers' (NOTA) 4-Day Webinar Event in September 2020. My talk initiated lots of discussion amongst other panel and audience members regarding university-based sexual assault perpetration, as well as online conversation on Twitter regarding the topic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Poster presented at the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuser's (ATSA) 38th Annual Research & Treatment Conference in Atlanta, GA. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I presented a poster based on my PhD research to date at ATSA's 38ths annual research and treatment conference - the "world's largest annual conference and leading educational venue for individuals working on issues related to the research, treatment, and management of sexual abuse." My poster sparked interest amongst audience members interested in campus sexual assault work, including US-based charities and organisations working in the harm prevention field. As a result of my presentation, I have begun conversations with several academics in the US and UK who are researching into university-based sexual offending behaviours, which have opened up several presenting opportunities for me (e.g., at the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers' (NOTA) virtual postgraduate research event in 2020). I have also subsequently been invited to join the ATSA Student Committee and participate in the ATSA 2020 Board Membership Nomination Committee on the back of my poster presentation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Poster presented at the Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT) 25th International San Diego Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma Across the Lifespan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I presented a poster based on my PhD research to date at IVAT's 25th San Diego summit - an annual mass gathering of harm prevention advocates (e.g., students, researchers, charities, policymakers) from across the globe. My poster sparked interest amongst audience member and catalysed some conversations and generated some questions related to campus sexual assault work in the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |