Conceptualizing Male Sexual Coercion

Ann M. Moore, Guttmacher Institute
Ragnar Anderson, University of Chicago
Nyovani Madise, University of Southampton

Male sexual coercion, the coercion of males into unwanted sexual experiences, has not received the same amount of attention as the sexual coercion of females. Previous work on male sexual coercion has identified forms of coercion not found in the companion literature for females, including peer pressure, fears/threats of emasculation and sexual enticement. Previous research has found that men who experienced a forced sexual debut were more likely to report multiple sexual partners, an indicator of sexual risk. School performance and continuation have also been shown to suffer, while male victims have been found to have psychological concerns associated with their masculinity and sexuality. Male sexual coercion, however, lacks an agreed upon definition as well as a conceptual framework. In this paper, we attempt to fill these gaps by defining male sexual coercion as well as providing a framework within which to examine male sexual coercion.