The Association Between Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Sexual Aggression Perpetration Among Men Arrested for Domestic Violence

Abstract

Sexual aggression perpetrated by men with a history of domestic violence (DV) occurs at higher rates compared to men without a history of DV. Compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) has been related to sexual assault perpetration in sex offender populations; however, this relation has not been examined among men arrested for DV. The current study investigated if CSB would positively relate to sexual aggression perpetration in a sample of men arrested for DV (n = 312), while controlling for impulsivity and alcohol and drug use. We also explored CSB as it related to “minor/moderate” and “severe” sexual aggression tactics. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that CSB accounted for a small amount of unique variance in the perpetration of sexual aggression total score. Similarly, CSB accounted for a small amount of unique variance in “minor/moderate” sexual coercion, but not “severe” acts of sexual aggression. The findings suggest CSB may be a risk factor for sexual aggression perpetration and lend support to risk factors varying based on tactics utilized.