THE ONSET OF SEXUAL AGGRESSION: A META-ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE FOR THE MOTIVATIONAL-FACILITATION MODEL OF SEXUAL OFFENDING AND THE CONFLUENCE MODEL OF SEXUAL AGGRESSION

Abstract

The factors associated with the onset of sexual aggression and the persistence of sexual aggression are largely distinct. However, while persistence factors have been extensively studied, there is insufficient exploration of onset factors. Based on the Motivational–Facilitation Model of Sexual Offending (MFM) and the Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression, structural models were proposed to examine possible pathways to sexually aggressive behaviors. A meta–analysis was conducted with 522 effect sizes from 46 studies to estimate mean correlation coefficients between model variables and meta–analytic structural equation modeling was applied to evaluate three structural models. The results suggest that the MFM did not fit the meta– analytic data, while a saturated model based on the Confluence Model produced significant direct effects. As the two models are centered on perpetrator’s psychology, these findings suggest the importance of examining victim characteristics, situational, and contextual variables in accounting for the onset of sexual aggression. The limitations of the study and implications for research and treatment were critically examined.