Does benevolence benefit? Understanding the role of benevolent sexism sub-factors in predicting sexual aggression among men

Sexual aggression remains a pervasive problem in our society, with approximately one in five women reporting an unwanted sexual experience (Koss et al., 2007). A key construct associated with sexual aggression may be the endorsement of sexist beliefs, which have been conceptualized along two domains: Hostile and benevolent sexism (Glick & Fiske, 1996).Hostile sexist beliefs can predict engagement in sexual aggression (Malamuth et al.,1995); however, there is a paucity of research examining the influence of benevolent sexism on sexual aggression perpetration. The goal of this study is to explore the relationship between the three sub-factors of benevolent sexism (protective paternalism, complementary gender differentiation, and heterosexual intimacy) on sexual aggression using an established laboratory paradigm (Mitchell, Angelone, Hirschman & Lilly, 2002). A total of 188 college men participated in the video showing behavioral analogue of sexual aggression. A hierarchical linear regression revealed that men lower in complementary gender differentiation were more likely to engage in sexual aggression. Future directions and limitations are discussed