Sexual Coercion and Mental Health Symptoms Among Heterosexual Men: The Pressure to Say “Yes”
Abstract
The present study investigated the prevalence of female-to-male intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms among 370 male university students. Participants completed surveys that measured three types of IPV victimization (sexual, physical, and psychological) and four types of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, hostility, and somatic symptoms). Correlations revealed strong positive associations between sexual, physical, and psychological IPV among male victims. Multiple regressions identified that males who reported psychological and sexual IPV from their female partner were more likely to report higher hostility, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Further analyses identified that male victims experienced much higher levels of “insisted” sexual coercion rather than “forced” sexual coercion. Mental health practitioners should be aware of the possible mental health symptoms among male IPV victims, specifically from sexual coercion. The study posits that gender socialization does not allow men to refuse sex from an intimate partner and therefore elicit mental health symptoms.
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Five additional studies on depression found a non-significant association between psychological violence and depression.
“Another 37 studies examined the association between psychological violence and depression; twenty-nine of the identified studies found a significant association [13, 34, 35, 39, 42, 45–47, 49, 53–73], while five studies found a non-significant association [50, 74–77].”
From The psychological subtype of intimate partner violence and its effect on mental health: a systematic review with meta-analyses (2022) · cites this paper as [76]
Three additional studies found an insignificant association between psychological violence and anxiety.
“Finally, thirteen studies found a significant association between psychological violence and anxiety [13, 38, 40, 49, 59, 63, 65, 68, 78, 80–83], while three studies found an insignificant association [61, 76, 84].”
From The psychological subtype of intimate partner violence and its effect on mental health: a systematic review with meta-analyses (2022) · cites this paper as [76]
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“Qualitative synthesis of additional outcomes on anxiety Finally, thirteen studies found a significant association between psychological violence and anxiety [13, 38, 40, 49, 59, 63, 65, 68, 78, 80–83], while three studies found an insignificant association [61, 76, 84].”
Background
- Authors
- Próspero, M., & Fawson, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- ORCID
- Fawson, Peter
- Venue
- American Journal of Men's Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-02-02
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 98-103
- ISSN
- 1557-9883 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-9891
- OpenAlex
- W2136456332
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Men s Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- intimate partner violence, sexual coercion, male victims, heterosexual men, psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, depression, hostility, somatic symptoms, psychological violence, gender socialization, university students, gender-based violence
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Female, Hostility, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Mental Health, Surveys and Questionnaires, Somatoform Disorders, Spouse Abuse, Students, United States, Universities, Comorbidity, Heterosexuality, Men's Health, Young Adult
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