Different Components of Sexual Narcissism Are Differentially Associated With Specific Sexual Aggression Strategies: An Exploratory Study Among Male and Female College Students

Maximiliane Uhlich; Zoë D Peterson; Yi Li; Andrew Brown; Jin Han; Joseph A D McBride

doi:10.1080/19317611.2024.2311142

Different Components of Sexual Narcissism Are Differentially Associated With Specific Sexual Aggression Strategies: An Exploratory Study Among Male and Female College Students

Int J Sex Health. 2024 Feb 8;36(1):111-125. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2024.2311142. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Maximiliane Uhlich¹, Zoë D Peterson^{2

3}, Yi Li⁴, Andrew Brown³, Jin Han³, Joseph A D McBride⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
² Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
³ Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
⁴ Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA.

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated whether components of sexual narcissism are associated with different types of sexual aggression (e.g., verbal pressure or force) among students because this is a prevalent problem on college campuses.

Methods: College students (N = 508) were recruited for a cross-sectional online study.

Results: Results showed that components of sexual narcissism were related to different strategies of sexual aggression, with sexual entitlement being associated with not providing the victim an opportunity to object and exploiting intoxication. Gender moderated some of the associations, with women showing a stronger relationship than men.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that sexual narcissism represents a risk factor for sexual aggression in men and women and highlight the need for gender-inclusive and tailored interventions to prevent sexual aggression.

Keywords: Sexual Aggression Strategies; Sexual Assault; Sexual Coercion; Sexual Narcissism; Sexual Perpetration.

Grants and funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.