This study introduces the notion of nonagentic sexual interaction and presents findings describing its prevalence, characteristics, and consequences among a representative sample of 566 undergraduate women. One third of respondents reported one or more nonagentic sexual interactions during a single academic year, and more than half of the senior respondents reported one or more interactions during their college careers. Relations between these interactions' behavioral characteristics and four psychological outcome measures provide limited empirical support for the notion that interactions involving a higher degree of physical intrusion and more forceful tactics are more distressing than those involving less intrusion and more subtle tactics. Narrative accounts illustrate the complexity of these interactions. Implications of nonagentic sexual experiences for healthy sexuality development are discussed.
Abbey, A. (2002). Alcohol-related sexual assault: A common problem among college students. Journal ofStudies on Alcohol, 114, 118—128 .
2.
Arnett, J.J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York: Oxford University Press .
3.
Bandura, A. (1989). Human agency in social cognitive theory . American Psychologist, 44, 1175—1184 .
4.
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review ofPsychology, 52, 1—26 .
5.
Banyard, V.L. , Plante, E.G. , Cohn, E.S. , Moorhead, C. , Ward, S. , & Walsh, W. (2005). Revisiting unwanted sexual experiences on campus: A 12-year follow-up . Violence Against Women, 11, 426—446 .
6.
Boswell, A.A. , & Spade, J.Z. (1996). Fraternities and collegiate rape culture: Why are some fraternities more dangerous places for women . Gender & Society, 10, 133—147 .
7.
Brener, N.D. , McMahon, P.M. , Warren, C.W. , & Douglas, K.A. (1999). Forced sexual intercourse and associated health-risk behaviors among female college students in the United States . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 252—259 .
8.
Christopher, F.S. , & Kisler, T.S. (2004). Sexual aggression in romantic relationships. In J. H. Harvey , A. Wenzel , & S. Sprecher (Eds.), The handbook of sexuality in close relationships (pp. 287—309). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum .
9.
Emmers-Sommer, T.M. , & Allen, M. (1999). Variables related to sexual coercion: A path model . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 659—678 .
10.
Fisher, B.S. , Cullen, F.T. , & Turner, M.G. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women. Research Report. U.S. Department of Justice , Office of Justice Programs , National Institute of Justice .
11.
Frazier, P.A. (2003). Perceived control and distress following sexual assault: A longitudinal test of a new model . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1257—1269 .
12.
Frazier, P.A. , Tashiro, T. , Berman, M. , Steger, M. , & Long, J. (2004). Correlates of levels and patterns of positive life changes following sexual assault . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 19—30 .
13.
Hanson, R.K. (1990). The psychological impact of sexual assault on women and children: A review . Annals of Sex Research, 3, 187—232 .
14.
Kahn, A.S. , & Mathie, V.A. (2000). Understanding the unacknowledged rape victim. In C. B. Travis & J. W. White (Eds.), Sexuality, society and feminism: Psychological perspectives on women. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association .
15.
Kamen, P. (2000). Her way: Young women remake the sexual revolution . New York: Broadway Books .
16.
Koss, M.P. (1992). The underdetection of rape: Methodological choices influence incidence estimates . Journal of Social Issues, 48, 61—75 .
17.
Koss, M.P. (1996). The measurement of rape victimization in crime surveys . Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23, 55—69 .
18.
Koss, M.P. , Gidycz, C.A. , & Wisniewski, N. (1987). The scope of rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 162—170 .
19.
Muehlenhard, C.L. (1998). The importance and danger of studying sexually aggressive women. In P. B. Anderson & C. Struckman-Johnson (Eds.), Sexually aggressive women: Current perspectives and controversies (pp. 19—48). New York: Guilford Press .
20.
Muehlenhard, C.L. , & Kimes, L.A. (1999). The social construction of violence: The case of sexual and domestic violence . Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3, 234—245 .
21.
Muehlenhard, C.L. , & Peterson, Z.D. (2005). Wanting and not wanting sex: The missing discourse of ambivalence . Feminism & Psychology, 15, 15—20 .
22.
Muehlenhard, C.L. , Powch, I.G. , Phelps, J.L. , & Guisti, L.M. (1992). Definitions of rape: Scientific and political implications . Journal of Social Issues, 48, 23—44 .
23.
O'Sullivan, L.E. (2005). Sexual coercion in dating relationships: Conceptual and methodological issues . Sexual and Relationship Therapy , 20, 3—11 .
24.
O'Sullivan, L.E. , & Allgeier, E.R. (1998). Feigning sexual desire: Consenting to unwanted sexual activity in heterosexual dating relationships . Journal of Sex Research, 35, 234—243 .
25.
O'Sullivan, L.F. , Byers, E.S. , & Finkelman, L.A. (1998). A comparison of male and female college students' experiences of sexual coercion . Psychology of Women Quarterly, 22, 177—195 .
26.
Paul, E.L. , & Hayes, K.A. (2002). The causalities of `casual' sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students' hookups . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19, 639—661 .
27.
Phillips, L.M. (2000). Flirting with danger: Young women's reflections on sexuality and domination. New York: New York University Press .
28.
Resick, P.A. (1993). The psychological impact of rape . Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8, 223—255 .
29.
Rozee, P.D. (1993). Forbidden or forgiven? Rape in cross-cultural perspective . Psychology of Women Quarterly, 17, 499—514 .
30.
Ruch, L.O. , Gartrell, J.W. , Amedeo, S.R. , & Coyne, B.J. (1991). The Sexual Assault Symptom Scale: Measuring self-reported sexual assault trauma in the emergency room . Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 3, 3—8 .
31.
Ryan, R.M. , & Deci, E.L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being . American Psychologist, 55, 68—78 .
32.
Tolman, D.L. (1999). Femininity as a barrier to positive sexual health for adolescent girls . Journal of the American Medical Women's Association, 54, 133—138 .
33.
Tolman, D.L. , Striepe, M.I. , & Harmon, T. (2003). Gender matters: Constructing a model of adolescent sexual health . The Journal of Sex Research, 40, 4—12 .
34.
Ullman, S.E. , Karabatsos, G. , & Koss, M.P. (1999). Alcohol and sexual assault in a national sample of college women . Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 603—625 .
35.
Van Berlo, W. , & Ensink, B. (2000). Problems with sexuality after sexual assault . Annual Review of Sex Research, 11, 235—257 .
36.
Ward, S.K. , Chapman, K. , Cohn, E. , White, S. , & Williams, K. (1991). Acquaintance rape and the college social scene . Family Relations, 40, 65—71 .
37.
Weaver, T.L. , & Clum, G.A. (1995). Psychological distress associated with interpersonal violence: A meta-analysis . Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 115—140 .
38.
Willan, V.J. , & Pollard, P. (2003). Likelihood of acquaintance rape as a function of males' sexual expectations, disappointment, and adherence to rape-conducive attitudes . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20, 637—661 .
39.
Zilberg, N.J. , Weiss, D.S. , & Horowitz, M.J. (1982). Impact of Event Scale: A cross-validation study and some empirical evidence supporting a conceptual model of stress response syndromes . Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology, 50, 407—414 .
