Sexual assault perpetrators carry similar character traits, so how do we identity them?
Richard E. Mattson, director of the undergraduate program and a professor of psychology at Harpur College at Binghamton University, explains.
Richard E. Mattson joined the Department of Psychology at Binghamton University in 2013. Mattson’s lab focuses on perceptions and attitudes relevant to communication in intimate dyads across a wide range of important domains. Many of these intersect through gender roles, sexual orientation, and substance use. His lab’s experimental, correlational, and descriptive approaches can easily be translated to intervention, policy and public discourse applications.
After receiving his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Binghamton University, Mattson went on to work as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Auburn before his current position.
Using Character Traits to Identify Men Likely to Commit Sexual Assault
It would surprise few that the decisions a man makes in a sexual situation depend largely on the characteristics of the particular man. My team and I sought to find out exactly what uniquely characterizes the men most likely to become sexually aggressive.
We asked 420 young heterosexual men what they would do across different sexual situations wherein a woman ultimately refused his advance. We also assessed them on beliefs and traits that form a risk of generalized violence. These assessments provided insight into those who would override the ‘no means no’ principle.
Three variables emerged as uniquely relevant. First, the risk of an assault was higher for men who were misinformed about the nature of sexual consent; for instance, believing that a woman’s explicit “no” was really a veiled invitation for him to exert dominance. Second, men with an impulsive and callous disregard for the rights of others more often overturned a woman’s sexual refusal through coercion or physical force. Finally, assaultive behaviors were likelier for men who rigidly adhered to traditional notions about gender.
It is important to emphasize that for a sizable group of men, “no” meant “no,” overall suggesting that a woman’s clear communication of her sexual intentions does hold sway over men’s behavior–but not always, and not for all men. As for potential red flags, hypermasculine behavior is perhaps easiest to spot, as it manifests in public displays of stereotyped male behavior.
Moving forward, we hope our findings will increase awareness of sexual assault and its causes, as well as inform existing efforts to create a safer and more respectful sexual ecosystem.
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