The role of heavy episodic drinking and hostile sexism in men's sexual aggression toward female intimate partners

Research indicates that men's heavy episodic drinking is a significant risk factor for their perpetration of sexual aggression toward intimate partners. The aim of this investigation was to examine how hostile sexism (i.e., antipathy toward women) and benevolent sexism (i.e., subjectively positive, yet patriarchal, views of women) influence the relation between men's heavy episodic drinking and their perpetration of sexual aggression toward intimate partners.MethodParticipants were 205 heterosexual drinking men who completed self-report measures of quantity of alcohol consumption during the past 12 months, hostile sexism, and sexual aggression toward an intimate partner during the past 12 months.ResultsMen's heavy episodic drinking was positively associated with sexual aggression perpetration toward intimate partners amongst men who endorsed high, but not low, levels of hostile sexism. No such interactive effect emerged for men's endorsement of benevolent sexism.ConclusionsThese results have important implications for understanding cumulative risk factors for the perpetration of sexual aggression toward intimates.

► Examined heavy drinking (HD) and sexual aggression (SA) toward intimates. ► Tested hostile sexism (HS) as moderator of this relation. ► HD and IPSA relation exacerbated amongst men who endorsed high levels of HS. ► HS may heighten cognitive misperception present when drinking in sexual situations. ► Results indicate importance of further examining factors influencing HED–IPSA link.