The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of a sexual encounter that involved verbal sexual coercion (VCS). The study assessed how respondents perceived a hypothetical heterosexual sexual exchange in which the female resists the male’s advances without saying ‘no’. In addition, the effects of two situational factors − the woman’s reputation and the status of the relationship between the woman and the perpetrator − on perceptions of the sexual exchange were measured. Finally, the study examined the effect of gender on perceptions of the sexual exchange. Results revealed that the exchange was viewed as verbally coercive, and that the relationship status of the woman to the perpetrator as well as the gender of the participant significantly affected perceptions of VCS.
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