Little is known about risk/protective factors for sexually coercive behavior in general population youth. We used a Swedish
school-based population survey of sexual attitudes and experiences (response rate 77%) and investigated literature-based variables
across sexually coercive (SEX), non-sexual conduct problem (CP), and normal control (NC) participants to identify general
and specific risk/protective factors for sexual coercion. Among 1,933 male youth, 101 (5.2%) reported sexual coercion (ever
talked or forced somebody into genital, oral, or anal sex) (SEX), 132 (6.8%) were classified as CP, and the remaining 1,700
(87.9%) as NC. Of 29 tested variables, 25 were more common in both SEX and CP compared to NC youth, including minority ethnicity,
separated parents, vocational study program, risk-taking, aggressiveness, depressive symptoms, substance abuse, sexual victimization,
extensive sexual experiences, and sexual preoccupation. When compared to CP youth only, SEX youth more often followed academic
study programs, used less drugs and were less risk-taking. Further, SEX more frequently than CP youth reported gender stereotypic
and pro-rape attitudes, sexual preoccupation, prostitution, and friends using violent porn. Finally, in a multivariate logistic
regression, academic study program, pro-rape attitudes, sexual preoccupation, and less risk-taking independently remained
more strongly associated with SEX compared to CP offending. In conclusion, several sociodemographic, family, and individual
risk/protective factors were common to non-sexual and sexually coercive antisocial behavior in late adolescence. However,
pro-rape cognitions, and sexual preoccupation, were sexuality-related, specific risk factors. The findings could inform preventive
efforts and the assessment and treatment of sexually coercive male youth.
Keywords Sexual violence - Conduct problems - Sexual behavior - Pornography - Population survey - Male youth