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

This study investigated whether knowledge of sexual consent moderates the relationship between modifiable risk factors and sexual violence (SV) perpetration among first-year college men. Using data from 1,144 male freshmen across 30 colleges in Georgia, the study found that higher knowledge of sexual consent significantly buffered the positive associations between SV perpetration and risk factors such as hypermasculinity, binge drinking, rape-supportive social norms, and peer support for SV. However, knowledge of sexual consent did not moderate the effects of pornography use or negative outcome expectancies for non-consensual sex (OENCS) on SV perpetration. The findings suggest that incorporating comprehensive consent education into youth sexual education and college-based SV prevention programs may reduce SV perpetration by addressing key risk factors, though additional strategies are needed to target factors like pornography use and OENCS.