Make love not war? Sex, sexual meanings, and violence in a sample of university students.

Some previous studies show that sexual arousal heightens aggression, some show no relationship, and others show that sex inhibits aggression. It is suggested that the contradictions can be explained by the failure of these studies to consider the subjective meaning of sexual acts. To empirically test this notion, questionnaires were given to 190 students in three New England colleges. It was found that a high level of sexual activity is associated with a low level of violence, but only if the meaning of that activity is one of a warm, affectionate act. For men who follow the traditional male stereotype of sex as a dominant and exploitative act, higher levels of sexual activity are associated with the aggression and violence typically associated with attempts to dominate. For women, these relationships were weak or nonexistent. Reasons for the sex differences are discussed.