What happens if I say no: Attitudes and prevalence of emotional coercion in sexual dating relationships

Abstract

Emotional coercion is a gray area for many dating couples. This study asked approximately 150 young men and women about their attitudes and experiences with emotional coercion in dating relationships and utilized both a Self-Report Measure and a Scenario Measure containing vignettes about coercion. The findings indicated that, overall, respondents failed to find the use of coercion inappropriate. Respondents found coercion by women to be less appropriate than coercion by men. According to the results, most respondents could not tell the difference between acquiescence and true consent, which may help explain why and how coercion occurs. This study shows that education on this topic is needed for all individuals in order to promote healthier sexual relationships.