Lifestyle Factors Associated with the Sexual Assault of Men: A Routine Activity Theory Analysis

Abstract

This paper explores the role of lifestyle and routine activities in the sexual assault of adult men. Little is known about the individual factors that are associated with the likelihood of male victimization. This paper explores the role of demographics, high school experiences, lifestyle statuses, school activities, leisure activities, alcohol use, drug use and self-protective behaviors in predicting the sexual victimization of a sample of southern college/university men. Results reveal that demographics, alcohol use, drug use, and high school experiences are significant predictors of general sexual assault victimization. Demographic, drug use, high school experience, and athletic participation in college variables predict serious sexual assault victimization. Implications for the understanding of men's sexual assault and routine activity theory are discussed.

Keywords

sexual assault men as victims routine activity theory

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Abbey

(1987). Misperceptions of friendly behavior as sexual interest: A survey of naturally occurring incidents. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 11, 173–194.

Abbey

(1991). Acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption on college campuses: How are they linked? Journal of American College Health, 39, 165–169.

Abbey

Ross

McDuffie

, & McAuslan

(1996). Alcohol and dating risk factors for sexual assault among college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 20, 147–169.

Aizenman

, & Kelley

(1988). The incidence and violence of acquaintance rape in dating relationships among college men and women. Journal of College Student Development, 29(4), 305–311.

Amato

P. R.

(1989). Family processes and the competence of adolescents and primary school children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 18 (1), 39–53.

Barongan

G. C.

, & Hall

C. N.

(1995). The influence of misogynous rap music on sexual aggression against women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19(2), 195–207.

Benedict

(1997). Public heroes, private felons: Athletes and crimes against women. Boston: Northeastern University Press.

Benedict

, & Klein

(1997). Arrest and conviction rates for athletes accused of sexual assault. Sociology of Sport, 14, 86–94.

Boeringer

Shehan

C. L.

, & Akers

R. L.

(1991). Social contexts and social learning in sexual coercion and aggression: Assessing the contribution of fraternity membership. Family Relations, 40, 58–64.

10.

Bohmer

, & Parrot

(1993). Sexual assault on campus: The problem and the solution. New York: MacMillan.

11.

Bryan

W. A.

(1987). Contemporary fraternity and sorority issues. New Directions for Student Services, 40, 37–55.

12.

Calderwood

(1987). The male rape victim. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality, May, 53–55.

13.

Cohen

L. E.

, & Felson

(1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, 44, 588–608.

14.

Collins

J. J.

Cox

B. G.

, & Langan

P. A.

(1987). Job activities and personal crime victimization: Implications for theory. Social Science Research, 16, 345–360.

15.

Coker

A. L.

Walls

L. G.

, & Johnson

J. E.

(1998). Risk factors for traumatic physical injury during sexual assaults for male and female victims. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 13(5), 605–620.

16.

Cook

S. L.

(1995). Acceptance and expectation of sexual aggression in college students. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 181–194.

17.

Copenhaver

, & Grauerholz

(1991). Sexual victimization among sorority women: Exploring the link between sexual violence and institutional practices. Sex Roles, 24, 31–41.

18.

Craig

M. E.

Kalichman

S. C.

, & Follingstad

D. R.

(1989). Verbal coercive sexual behavior among college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 18(5), 421–434.

19.

Crosset

T. W.

Ptacek

McDonald

M. A.

, & Benedict

J. R.

(1996). Male student-athletes and violence against women: A survey of campus judicial affairs offices. Violence Against Women, 2, 163–179.

20.

DeKeseredy

W. S.

, & Kelly

(1993). Woman abuse in university and college dating relationships: The contribution of the ideology of familial patriarchy. Journal of Human Justice, 4(2), 25–52.

21.

Ferraro

(1996). Women's fear of victimization: Shadow of sexual assault. Social Forces, 75(2), 667–690.

22.

Ferrro

1995. Fear of crime: Interpreting victimization risk. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

23.

Fiebert

M. S.

, & Tucci

L. M.

(1998). Sexual coercion: Men victimized by women. The Journal of Men's Studies, 6, 127–133.

24.

Fillmore

K. M.

(1985). The social victims of drinking. British Journal of Addictions, 80, 307–314.

25.

Forman

(1982). Reported male rape. Victimology, 7, 235–236.

26.

Frintner

M. P.

, & Rubinson

(1993). Acquaintance rape: The influence of alcohol, fraternity membership, and sports team membership. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, 19(4), 272–284.

27.

George

W. H.

Gournic

S. J.

, & McAfee

M. P.

(1988). Perceptions of postdrinking female sexuality: Effects of gender, beverage choice, and drink payment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 18, 1295–1317.

28.

Groth

, & Burgess

A. W.

(1980). Male rape: Offenders and victims. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 806–810.

29.

Harford

T. C.

Wechsler

, & Rohman

(1983). The structural context of college drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 44, 722–732.

30.

Isley

P. J.

Busse

, & Isely

(1998). Sexual assault of males in late adolescence: A hidden phenomenon. Professional School Counseling, 2, 153–160.

31.

Johnson

B. E.

Kuck

D. L.

, & Schander

P. R.

(1997). Rape myth acceptance and sociodemographic characteristics: A multi-dimensional analysis. Sex Roles, 36, 693–707.

32.

Kalof

(1993). Rape-supportive attitudes and sexual victimization experiences or sorority and nonsorority women. Sex Roles, 29, 767–780.

33.

Kalof

, & Cargill

(1991). Fraternity and sorority membership and gender dominance attitudes. Sex Roles, 25, 417–423.

34.

Kalof

, & Wade

B. H.

(1995). Sexual attitudes and experiences with sexual coercion: Exploring the influence of race and gender. Journal of Black Psychology, 21, 224–238.

35.

Kanin

(1967). An examination of sexual aggression as a response to sexual frustration. Journal of Marriage and Family, 29, 428–433.

36.

Kaufman

Divasto

Jackson

Voorhees

, & Christy

(1980). Male rape victims: Noninstitutionalized assault. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 221–223.

37.

Kennedy

L. W.

, & Forde

D. R.

(1990). Routine activities and crime: An analysis of victimization in Canada. Criminology, 28, 137–152.

38.

Kloepper

H. W.

Leonard

W. M.

, & Huang

L. J.

(1981). A comparison of the “only child” and the siblings' perceptions of parental norms and sanctions. Adolescence, 16(3), 641–655.

39.

Koss

(1988). Hidden rape: Sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of students in higher education. In Burgess

(Ed.), Rape and sexual assault (Vol. 2, pp. 3–25). New York: Garland.

40.

Koss

M. P.

, & Dinero

T. E.

(1989). Discriminant analysis of risk factors for sexual victimization among a national sample of college women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 242–250.

41.

Koss

M. P.

, & Gaines

J. A.

(1993). The prediction of sexual aggression by alcohol use, athletic participation, and fraternity affiliation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8, 94–108.

42.

Lane

K. E.

, & Gwartney-Gibbs

P. A.

(1985). Violence in the context of dating and sex. Journal of Family Issues, 6, 45–49.

43.

Lasley

J. R.

(1989). Drinking routines/lifestyles and predatory victimization: A causal analysis. Justice Quarterly, 6, 529–542.

44.

Lenihan

G. O.

, & Rawlins

M. E.

(1994). Rape supportive attitudes among Greek students before and after a date rape prevention program. Journal of College Student Development, 35, 450–455.

45.

Lottes

I. L.

Adler

M. A.

, & Demaris

(1996). Using and interpreting logistic regression: A guide for teachers and students. Teaching Sociology, 24, 284–298.

46.

Lynch

J. P.

(1987). Routine activity and victimization at work. Journal of Quantitative Criminology 3, 283–300.

47.

Makepeace

J. M.

(1986). Gender differences in courtship violence/victimization. Family Relations, 35, 383–388.

48.

Martin

P. Y.

, & Hummer

R. A.

(1989). Fraternities and rape on campus. Gender & Society, 3, 457–473.

49.

Martin

P. Y.

, & Hummer

R. A.

(1993). Fraternities and rape on campus. In Bart

P. B.

& Moran

E. G.

(Eds.), Violence against women: The bloody footprints (pp. 114–131). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

50.

Mathews

W. J.

(1984). Violence in college couples. College Student Journal, 18, 150–159.

51.

McCandless

N. J.

, & Gigliotti

R. J.

(1988). Gender and sibling structure in children's opportunities for independence: An exploratory study. Sociological Viewpoints, 4, 82–91.

52.

McElrath

Chitwood

D. D.

, & Comerford

(1997). Crime victimization among injection drug users. Journal of Drug Issues, 27(4), 771–783.

53.

Menard

(1995). Applied logistic regression analysis. Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, 70–106. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

54.

Muelenhard

C. L.

, & Cook

S. W.

(1988). Men's self-reports of unwanted sexual activity. Journal of Sex Research, 24, 58–72.

55.

Muelenhard

C. L.

, & Linton

M. A.

(1987). Date rape & sexual aggression in dating situations: Incidence and risk factors. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 34, 186–196.

56.

Mustaine

E. E.

, & Tewksbury

(1998a). Victimization risks at leisure: A gender-specific analysis. Violence and Victims, 13, 231–249.

57.

Mustaine

E. E.

, & Tewksbury

(1998b). Specifying the role of alcohol in predatory victimization. Deviant Behavior, 19, 173–199.

58.

Mustaine

E. E.

, & Tewksbury

(1999). A routine activity theory explanation for women's stalking victimizations. Violence Against Women, 5, 43–62.

59.

Myers

M. F.

(1989). Men sexually assaulted as adults and sexually abused as boys. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 18, 203–215.

60.

Mynatt

C. R.

, & Allgeier

E. R.

(1990). Risk factors, self-attributions, and adjustment problems among victims of sexual coercion. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20(2), 130–153.

61.

O'Shaughnessey

M. E.

, & Palmer

C. J.

(1990). Summary report. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Student Assistance Center.

62.

Parks

K. A.

, & Miller

B. A.

(1997). Bar victimization of women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 509–526.

63.

Perkins

H. W.

(1992). Gender patterns in consequences of collegiate alcohol abuse: A 10-year study of trends in an undergraduate population. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 53(5), 458–462.

64.

Poppen

P. J.

, & Segal

N. J.

(1988). The influence of sex and sex role orientation on sexual coercion. Sex Roles, 19, 689–701.

65.

Rapaport

, & Burkart

B. R.

(1984). Personality and attitudinal characteristics of sexually coercive college males. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 9, 216–221.

66.

Riley

(1987). Time and crime: The link between teenager lifestyle and delinquency. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 3(4), 339–354.

67.

Rosenfeld

(1982, September). When women rape men. Omni Magazine, 28, 194.

68.

Sampson

R. J.

(1987). Personal victimization by strangers: An extension and test of the opportunity model of predatory victimization. The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 78, 327–356.

69.

Sanday

P. R.

(1990). Fraternity gang rape: Sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus. New York: New York University Press.

70.

Sandberg

G. G.

Jackson

T. L.

, & Petretic-Jackson

(1987). College dating attitudes regarding sexual coercion and sexual aggression: Developing education and prevention strategies. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28, 302–310.

71.

Sarrel

P. M.

, & Masters

W. H.

(1982). Sexual molestation of men by women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 11, 117–131.

72.

SAS Institute, Inc. (1990). SAS/STAT User's Guide, Vol. 2, Version 6 (4th Edition). Carey, NC: SAS Institute.

73.

Schaefer

, & Nelson

(1993). Rape Supportive Attitudes: Effects of on-campus residence and education. Journal of College Student Development, 34, 175–179.

74.

Schwartz

M. D.

, & DeKeseredy

W. S.

(1997). Sexual assault on the college campus: The role of male peer support. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

75.

Schwartz

M. D.

, & Nogrady

(1996). Fraternity membership, rape mythos and sexual aggression on a college campus. Violence Against Women, 2, 148–162.

76.

Schwartz

M. D.

, & Pitts

V. L.

(1995). Exploring a feminist routine activities approach to explaining sexual assault. Justice Quarterly, 12, 9–31.

77.

Sorenson

S. B.

Stein

J. A.

Siegel

J. M.

Golding

J. M.

, & Burnam

M. A.

(1987). The prevalence of adult sexual assault: The Los Angeles epidemiological catchment area project. American Journal of Epidemiology, 126, 1154–1164.

78.

SPSS Inc. (1997). SPSS base 7.5 for Windows user's guide. Chicago: SPSS Inc.

79.

Stermac

Sheridan

P. M.

Davidson

, & Dunn

(1996). Sexual assault of adults males. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 11, 52–64.

80.

Stets

J.E.

, & Pirog-Good

M. S.

(1989). Patterns of physical and sexual abuse for men and women in dating relationships: A descriptive analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 4, 63–76.

81.

Stombler

(1994). “Buddies” or “slutties”: The collective sexual reputation of fraternity little sisters. Gender & Society, 8(3), 297–323.

82.

Struckman-Johnson

(1991). Male victims of acquaintance rape. In Parrot

& Bechofer

(Eds.), Acquaintance rape, the hidden crime (pp. 192–214). New York: Wiley.

83.

Struckman-Johnson

(1988). Forced sex on dates: It happens to men, too. Journal of Sex Research, 24, 234–241.

84.

Tampke

D. R.

(1990). Alcohol behavior, risk perception, and fraternity and sorority membership. NASPA Journal, 28, 71–77.

85.

Tanioka

(1986). Evidence links smoking to violent crime victimization. Sociology and Social Research, 71, 58.

86.

Tyler

K. A.

Hoyt

D. R.

, & Whitbeck

L. B.

(1998). Coercive sexual strategies. Violence and Victims, 13, 47–61.

87.

U.S. Department of Education Home Page. (1999). Fast facts. http://www.ed.gov 11/12/99.

88.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1983). Criminal victimization in the United States, victim risk supplement, 1983. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

89.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1998a). Prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.

90.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1998b). Criminal victimization in the United States, 1995. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

91.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1998c). Crime in the United States, 1997. Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

92.

U.S. Department of Justice. (1999). Criminal victimization 1998: Changes 1997–98 with trends 1993–98. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

93.

U.S. Department of Labor. (1997). Labor force status of persons 16 to 24 years old by school enrollment, educational attainment, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, October, 1996. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

94.

Vogel

R. E.

, & Himelein

M. J.

(1995). Dating and sexual victimization: An analysis of risk factors among precollege women. Journal of Criminal Justice, 23, 153–162.

95.

Waldner-Haugrud

L. K.

, & Magruder

(1995). Male and female sexual victimization in dating relationships: Gender differences in coercion techniques and outcomes. Violence and Victims, 10, 203–215.

96.

Ward

S. K.

Chapman

Cohn

White

, & Williams

(1991). Acquaintance rape and the college social scene. Family Relations, 40, 65–71.

97.

Warr

(1985). Fear of rape among urban women. Social Problems, 32(3), 238–250.

98.

Warshaw

(1988). I never called it rape. New York: Harper and Row.

99.

Wiggins

J. A.

, & Wiggins

B. B.

(1987). Drinking at a southern university: Its description and correlates. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 48, 319–324.

100.

Wooldredge

J. D.

Cullen

F. T.

, & Latessa

E. J.

(1992). Victimization in the workplace: A test of routine activities theory. Justice Quarterly, 9, 325–335.