The Confluence Mediational Model of Sexual Aggression

The Confluence Model was the first empirical multifactorial integration of the risk factors that contribute to sexual aggression, particularly among non-criminal males, with a corresponding attempt at theoretical understanding of these factors. This chapter elaborates on the latest version of this model, which incorporates both factors contributing to antisocial behaviour generally (i.e., home background of abuse, antisocial tendencies in adolescence, impersonal sexuality, narcissistic personality, and low empathy) and those specific to sexual aggression (i.e., hostility towards women, attitudes supporting violence against women, and sexual arousal to rape). The various risk factors function as in a ‘cocktail mixture’ in a synergistic manner. High levels of the general antisocial component seem more relevant to criminal populations whereas non-criminal samples have lower scores on this component. A large amount of cross-sectional and some longitudinal data support this model in various ethnic groups from the general population and some criminal samples. Additional data demonstrate how the characterological risk factors interact with situational variables, such as pornography and alcohol use, to increase the risk for sexual aggression. Keywords: alcohol; antisocial; confluence model; hostility towards women; pornography; risk factors; sexual aggression