Knowledge of sexual consent as a protective factor against sexual violence perpetration among first-year college men: a moderation analysis

This study examined whether knowledge of sexual consent buffers the relationship between risk factors for sexual violence (SV) and SV perpetration among first-year college men. The study data were drawn from a longitudinal study with 1144 first-year college men. A series of generalized linear models were conducted to examine whether knowledge of sexual consent moderated the relationship between SV risk factors and SV perpetration. Knowledge of sexual consent moderated the effect of hypermasculinity (P < 0.001), binge drinking (P < 0.001), rape-supportive social norms (P = 0.007) and peer support for SV (P < 0.001) such that there was a positive association between risk factors and SV perpetration among those with lower, but not higher, knowledge of sexual consent. Knowledge of sexual consent did not significantly moderate the relationship between SV perpetration and outcome expectancies for non-consensual sex (P = 0.387) and pornography use (P = 0.494). Knowledge of sexual consent may counteract risk factors for SV perpetration among young college men. The findings highlight the need for consent education to be incorporated in youth comprehensive sexual education to increase knowledge of sexual consent prior to college and campus-based SV prevention programming delivered to college students.