An Application of the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression Among Young Adult Male Soldiers

Abstract

Sexual violence in the U.S. military is a serious concern. Whereas numerous studies document the prevalence of sexual violence among service members, far less research has examined etiological risk factors for sexual aggression perpetration among service members. The present study sought to evaluate the applicability of the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression among a sample of young adult men engaged in active-duty military service within the U.S. Army. Anonymous surveys were completed by 326 male soldiers between the ages of 18 and 24 at a large military installation in the Southeastern region of the United tStates. Men’s likelihood to engage in sexual aggression was operationalized as men’s perceived likelihood to persist with sexual activity despite a partner’s resistance. Aligning with the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression, two composite variables reflecting hostile masculinity and tendency toward impersonal sex were created. A linear regression indicated that the main effects of hostile masculinity and impersonal sex were significantly associated with greater perceived likelihood of sexual aggression perpetration. Results also revealed that while the interaction term between hostile masculinity and impersonal sex was significant, the direction of the relationship suggests that the effect of impersonal sex is weaker at higher levels of hostile masculinity. These findings lend evidence to help identify those at elevated risk for perpetrating sexual aggression, as well as informing programmatic efforts to prevent sexual assault within the military.