Genetic effects on male sexual coercion.
The genetic and environmental influences on sexual coercion, and to what extent its associations with alcohol use and psychopathy depend on shared genetic and environmental effects, were explored in a Finnish population-based sample of 938 men, aged 33-43 years, using the classical twin study design. All three phenotypes were associated positively and affected by genes (sexual coercion 28%, alcohol use 60%, psychopathy 54%), with 46% of the correlation between sexual coercion and psychopathy, 89% of the correlation between alcohol use and psychopathy and 100% of the correlation between sexual coercion and alcohol use being explained by shared genetic effects. Further, the results showed that a proportion of the variance in sexual coercion was derived from a highly genetic source that was common with alcohol use and psychopathy. This latent factor was hypothesized to reflect a general tendency for antisocial behavior that is pervasive across different situations. Relevant theories on sexual coercion were discussed in light of the results.
Johansson
Ada
A
Department of Psychology, Center of Excellence for Behavior Genetics, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. ada.johansson@abo.fi
Santtila
Pekka
P
Harlaar
Nicole
N
von der Pahlen
Bettina
B
Witting
Katarina
K
Algars
Monica
M
Alanko
Katarina
K
Jern
Patrick
P
Varjonen
Markus
M
Sandnabba
N Kenneth
NK
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D003068:Coercion; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005387:Finland; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology