from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Risk factors are linked to a greater likelihood of sexual violence (SV) perpetration. They are contributing factors and might not be direct causes. Not everyone who is identified as at risk becomes a perpetrator of violence. A combination of individual, relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of becoming a perpetrator of SV. Understanding these factors can help identify various opportunities for prevention.
CDC focuses on preventing the first-time perpetration of SV.
Risk Factors for Perpetration
Individual Risk Factors
Alcohol and drug use
Delinquency
Lack of empathy
General aggressiveness and acceptance of violence
Early sexual initiation
Coercive sexual fantasies
Preference for impersonal sex and sexual-risk taking
Exposure to sexually explicit media
Hostility towards women
Adherence to traditional gender role norms
Hyper-masculinity
Suicidal behavior
Prior sexual victimization or perpetration
Relationship Factors
Family environment characterized by physical violence and conflict
Childhood history of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
Emotionally unsupportive family environment
Poor parent-child relationships, particularly with fathers
Association with sexually aggressive, hypermasculine, and delinquent peers
Involvement in a violent or abusive intimate relationship
Community Factors
Poverty
Lack of employment opportunities
Lack of institutional support from police and judicial system
General tolerance of sexual violence within the community
Weak community sanctions against sexual violence perpetrators
Societal Factors
Societal norms that support sexual violence
Societal norms that support male superiority and sexual entitlement
Societal norms that maintain women’s inferiority and sexual submissiveness
Weak laws and policies related to sexual violence and gender equity
High levels of crime and other forms of violence
Protective Factors for Perpetration
Protective factors may lessen the likelihood of sexual violence victimization or perpetration. These factors can exist at individual, relational, community, and societal levels.
Parental use of reasoning to resolve family conflict
Emotional health and connectedness
Academic achievement
Empathy and concern for how one’s actions affect others
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