ABSTRACT
Sexual coercion includes violence and physical force, and in an intimate relationship also may include subtle tactics, such as emotional manipulation. Because relationship partners have a vested interest in each other, one might expect that sexual coercion is sometimes achieved by more subtle manipulations. Sexual aggression—including sex obtained through verbal coercion, intoxication, and physical force—is highly prevalent and frequently results in negative physical and mental health outcomes for victims. Categories of sexual aggression measured by the scale include enticement, verbal coercion, use of older age or authority, use of alcohol or drugs, and use of physical threats or force. Sexual consent has been conceptualized as both an internal state of willingness to engage in sexual activity as well as a verbal/behavioral act of agreement to engage in sexual activity. Internal and external consent are event-specific; contextual factors can and do influence the range of feelings people have associated with consent as well as the cues people use to communicate consent.
