Sexual Coercion Scale

Abstract

The Sexual Coercion Scale (SCS; Aalsma, Zimet, Fortenberry, Blythe, & Orr, 2002) is a brief, four-item psychometric instrument developed to quantify the occurrence of unwanted sexual behavior among adolescent and adult populations. The scale utilizes a clear definition of sexual coercion, which encompasses the use of pressure, threat, or force by one partner to obtain sex that is unwanted by the other. The SCS is designed to be efficient for use in studies where researchers must assess a wide range of sexual functioning and behavior items, retaining multiple items to ensure measurement consistency and internal reliability while minimizing participant burden.

A key feature of the SCS is its explicit distinction between sexual coercion and childhood sexual abuse. The scale instructions mandate that participants report only on unwanted sexual activity occurring after the age of 12, reflecting a developmental shift toward engagement in romantic and sexual partnerships. The items cover a variety of coercive tactics, ranging from overt physical threats to relational imbalances, and unwanted sex occurring within a partnership.

Keywords

Sexual Coercion, Unwanted Sexual Behavior, Adolescent Health, Psychological Assessment, Brief Scale, Sexual Abuse, Dating Violence, Sexual Functioning.

Authors

Matthew C. Aalsma, J. Dennis Fortenberry, G. D. Zimet, M. J. Blythe, D. P. Orr.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Sexual Coercion Scale (SCS) is to provide a concise, yet reliable, instrument for measuring the frequency and severity of unwanted sexual behavior in young women, adolescents, and adults. The scale was developed to meet the need for a brief, multiple-item measure capable of assessing this relatively common event in young women’s lives, particularly in large-scale epidemiological or clinical screening studies.

The SCS aims to capture the full spectrum of behaviors falling under the definition of sexual coercion—including acts involving physical force, weapons, fear, and general non-consent—while clearly separating these post-pubertal experiences from incidents of childhood sexual abuse, typically defined as occurring before the age of 12.

Construct

The SCS measures the construct of sexual coercion. The authors define this construct as involving the use of pressure, threat, or force utilized by one partner to secure sexual activity that is unwanted by the other. This definition is broad enough to include undesired sex obtained through various means, reflecting a range of power and relational imbalances.

The four items of the scale operationalize this construct by focusing on specific coercive tactics: the use of physical force, the use of a weapon, engaging in sex out of fear of the partner, and having sex when the individual genuinely did not want to. The scale specifically focuses on experiences occurring after the participant reaches the age of 12, aligning with developmental milestones related to romantic and sexual partnerships and distinguishing the measured construct from earlier life trauma.

Validity

The SCS demonstrates evidence of content validity, as the items included in the measure are comparable to those utilized in other established scales designed to assess sexual coercion. This comparability ensures that the scale is measuring the intended domain of unwanted sexual experiences.

Further support for the construct validity of the SCS was established through correlational research. In previous studies, researchers found a significant and consistent relationship between the scale scores and history of victimization: participants who were consistent reporters of childhood sexual abuse were significantly more likely to exhibit elevated levels of sexual coercion based on their SCS scores (Aalsma et al., 2002). This finding supports the theoretical expectation that vulnerability to earlier victimization is associated with higher levels of subsequent coercive experiences in adolescence and young adulthood.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the SCS was assessed during its validation study involving female adolescent and young adult subjects, aged 14 to 24 years. This sample population was recruited from specialized health settings, including urban health clinics and a sexually transmitted disease clinic in a large midwestern city.

The scale exhibited good internal reliability at baseline, yielding a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .67 (Aalsma et al., 2002). This level of consistency is generally considered acceptable for a brief, multi-item scale used in research settings, confirming the measure’s ability to reliably assess the underlying construct of sexual coercion.

Factor Analysis

Formal reports of exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis (EFA/CFA) are not provided in the source documentation. Given that the Sexual Coercion Scale (SCS) is a brief, four-item measure intended to yield a single summed score reflecting the frequency of unwanted sexual activity, it is generally treated as a unidimensional instrument measuring the overarching construct of sexual coercion.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological screening scale.

Format: The scale consists of four items. It uses a 3-point Likert-type response format where participants circle the correct descriptor.

Language Available: English (based on source documentation).

Population Group: Primarily female adolescents and young adults.

Age Group: Appropriate for adolescent and adult populations, covering experiences occurring after age 12.

Population Details: Initial validation sample included female subjects ranging from 14 to 24 years of age, recruited from clinical settings such as urban health clinics and sexually transmitted disease clinics.

Test Methodology: The scale utilizes a simple response structure: 1 = Never, 2 = Once, 3 = Two Times or More. The total score is calculated by summing the responses across all four items, resulting in a possible range from 0 to 12.

Keywords

Sexual Health, Dating Violence, Coercive Tactics, Unwanted Sex, Psychological Measurement, Youth Studies, Internal Reliability, Construct Validity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (Matthew C. Aalsma)

Correspondence Address: Matthew C. Aalsma, Section of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 575 N. West Dr., Rm. 070, Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and initially published in 2002 (Aalsma et al., 2002). Information regarding current licensing fees or formal permissions for commercial use is not detailed in the source materials. Researchers interested in using the scale should direct correspondence to the primary author, Matthew C. Aalsma, for permission and usage guidelines.

Reference’s

• Aalsma, M. C., Zimet, G. D., Fortenberry, J. D., Blythe, M. J., & Orr, D. P. (2002). Report of childhood sexual abuse by adolescents and young adults: Stability over time. The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 259–263.

• Blythe, M. J., Fortenberry, J. D., Temkit, M., Tu, W., & Orr, D. P. (2006). Incidence and correlates of unwanted sex and relationships of middle and late adolescent women. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 160, 591–595.

Items of the Sexual Coercion Scale

Instructions: These next questions are about unwanted sexual activity after you were 12 years old. “Unwanted” means any kind of sex that you didn’t agree to, even if it was with someone you knew.

1. How often has someone used physical force (like punching you or holding you down) to make you have sex? Never Once Two or More

2. How often has someone used a weapon (like a gun or a knife) to make you have sex? Never Once Two or More

3. How often have you had sex with someone because you were afraid of them? Never Once Two or More

4. How often have you had sex when you really didn’t want to? Never Once Two or More