大學院校男生強制性交行為的盛行率、型態、與連續性

Prevalence, Pattern, and Seriality of Forced Sexual Intercourse among Male College Students

大學院校學生的性侵害問題是重要的身心健康與性別人權議題。本研究探討大學院校男生強制性交行為的盛行率、型態、與連續性。本研究採取無記名自陳式問卷調查法蒐集資料。自全國大學院校隨機抽選二十所大學與學系為樣本進行調查，經此程序企圖得到具代表性的樣本。共計得有效問卷數1,015份，其中大學男生852份，研究所男生163份。結果發現，大學部男生自陳做過強制性交的比率在3.3%∼5.5%間，研究所男生在4.3%∼4.9%間。犯案型態方面，多數男生強制女性性交，主要是熟識者，其中大部分是現任或前任女友；加害者首次犯案年齡以18∼22歲居多數；約有六成的強制性交者認為案件發生時感受愉快，也有部分人認為不愉快，顯示強制性交者的異質性。多數強制性交行為具有計劃性，說明「男性因一時性衝動而發生強制性交行為」的想法並不完全正確。約會前飲酒可預測強制性交。強制性交行為與其他暴力行為呈現顯著關係，顯示兩者之間可能存有共病關係。大學部男生強制性交者平均每位做過9次案件，研究生平均每位做過5.67次案件，說明部分強制性交者是連續強暴犯。最後就研究結果進行討論，並提出以下防治建言：普及大學校園的性侵害防治計畫、宣導飲酒與強制性交的關聯、實施旁觀者介入方案。

In Taiwan, on-campus sexual assault remains a key concern that influences physical and mental health, gender equality, and human rights. However, few domestic studies have explored the sexual assault-related experiences of male college students. This study focused on the prevalence, patterns, and seriality of forced sexual intercourse among male college students in Taiwan. Our findings may guide relevant investigations in the future. Koss et al. (1987) surveyed sexual assault-related experiences among male college students in the United States. Approximately 10.2% of all respondents indicated engaging in sexual contact, with 7.2% reporting sexual coercion, 3.3% reporting attempted rape, and 4.4% admitting to rape. The cumulative percentage of these various forms of sexual assault was 25.1%. After 30 years, Koss et al. (2022) conducted a follow-up study, which revealed that the proportion of male college students reporting attempted rape or rape increased to 12.7%, exceeding the proportion in the previous survey (7.7%). This finding suggests a trend toward increasing prevalence of forced sexual intercourse among male college students in the United States. In 2014, Huang surveyed a representative sample of male college students and found that the prevalence rates of forced sexual intercourse realized through verbal pressure, misunderstandings in communication, violence, and exploitation of the victim's unconscious state (due to alcohol or drug use) were 17.9%, 11.6%, 11.6%, and 7.3%, respectively. Nonetheless, ambiguities in defining ''sexual behavior'' and the dated nature of evidence necessitate further investigations into the prevalence of forced sexual intercourse among male college students. Understanding crime patterns is essential for predicting and preventing criminal activity. Although official statistics offer insights into the time, place, region, season, age group, gender, occupation, and educational level related to various crimes, they primarily provide static population data. Consequently, limited dynamic and in-depth data are available for analysis. Thus, private surveys must be conducted to overcome data limitations. This study was conducted to investigate sexual assault victims' gender; relationships between offenders and victims; and offenders' age at first offense, crime planning, emotional state during the crime, involvement in other violent acts, and alcohol consumption before the event. Lisak and Miller (2002) analyzed the seriality of sexual offenses among male college students in the United States. Of the students surveyed, 6.4% reported engaging in forced sexual intercourse. Notably, among those who admitted to such behavior, 63.3% were repeat offenders, averaging 5.8 incidents each. The repeat offenders were responsible for 90.89% of the total 483 self-reported incidents. The researchers concluded that male college students who engage in forced sexual intercourse tended to be serial offenders. However, given the controversial nature of this topic, further investigations are needed to substantiate whether male college students involved in forced sexual intercourse generally exhibit serial offending behaviors. In the present study, data were collected using an anonymous self-report questionnaire, a method well known for its reliability and validity in measuring individuals' self-reported experiences of sexual assault. Participants were systematically selected to represent male college students in Taiwan, informed about the inclusion of sexual assault-related questions, and assured that their responses would not be linked to any identifiable data or used for legal proceedings. The study protocol was approved by our research ethics committee (permit number: 10905ES050). Notably, the later stages of this study coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, during which educational institutes adopted distance learning measures, which delayed the survey in some departments. Consequently, the final sample size was 1,015, which was smaller than the originally planned sample size (1,500). The proportion of male college students reporting forced sexual intercourse ranged from 3.3% to 5.5%; this range was lower than that reported by a decade-old study (Huang, 2014). Several factors may explain this discrepancy. The two studies differ in terms of methodologies; the previous study used a scale format for the survey, whereas the present study used a mandatory single question for each type across four categories. This difference might have introduced considerable measurement errors. Furthermore, the ratio of public to private university students in the previous study was 28.2:71.8, which was close to the ratio reported by the Ministry of Education. By contrast, this ratio was 36:64 in the present study, indicated an elevated representation of public university students. The relatively high proportion of public university students in the present study may explain the reduced proportion of male students reporting forced sexual intercourse because public university students are less likely to engage in forced sexual intercourse than private university students. However, when these proportions are converted into actual numbers, the data remain substantial. Data from the Ministry of Education show that 587,164 male college students in the 2021 academic year. Thus, the estimated number of male college students who have engaged in forced sexual intercourse ranges from 19,376 to 32,294. If repeated incidents by the same individuals are considered, the incidence rate becomes particularly concerning. Most incidents of forced sexual intercourse involved female victims, with only seven involving male victims. Regarding victim-offender relationships, the results consistently indicated that the majority of the offenders were acquainted with the victims, mostly though current or former romantic relationships. This finding challenges the prevalent stereotype that ''rape is usually committed by strangers.'' A substantial number of offenders first committed such crimes between the ages of 18 and 22 years, suggesting that the relative freedom and reduced supervision (because of living away from home) in college life facilitate certain sexual behaviors. Approximately 60% of the offenders reported finding the experience pleasant, whereas others found it to be unpleasant. This discrepancy highlights the diverse attitudes and reactions among perpetrators. Furthermore, the planning of forced sexual intercourse varied among the offenders. Some of them reported no prior contemplation, suggesting that situational factors often influence such behaviors. Thus, some offenders may deliberately commit such sexual offenses, whereas others may engage in such behavior impulsively. This finding indicates the heterogeneous nature of perpetrators and challenges the oversimplified notion that rape results solely from spontaneous sexual impulses. Regarding alcohol consumption, drinking before dates emerged as a predictor of forced sexual intercourse. We found a significant, although not exceedingly strong, correlation between forced sexual intercourse and other violent behaviors. This finding suggests that the motives behind forced sexual intercourse can extend beyond mere violence to include elements of power and sexual control. Regarding seriality, each perpetrator was involved in nine incidents on average, suggesting that some perpetrators were serial offenders responsible for most of the incidents. Possible explanations for this phenomenon are as follows. First, highly educated perpetrators can strategically avoid detection and punishment, which enables them to commit repeated offenses without facing consequences. Second, perpetrators with social advantages, such as high education, often have increased opportunities for interactions, which may enable them to commit repeated offenses. Finally, the perceived success or pleasure derived from the act may lead to addiction-like behavior, prompting repeated offenses. To prevent forced sexual intercourse among male college students, we recommend the universal implementation of sexual assault prevention programs on campuses, introduction of public awareness campaigns linking alcohol consumption to the likelihood of committing sexual assaults, and adoption of bystander intervention strategies. These measures may help reduce incidents of sexual assault and create a safe college environment.