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Sexual fantasies represent a vast and highly personal dimension of human sexuality that remains understudied empirically. This article used a person-oriented approach to examine the reactions of arousal and discomfort that individuals experienced in response to four proposed fantasy scenarios depicting themes of romance, power dynamics (i.e., submission and domination), pain (i.e., sadism and masochism), and sexual violence. Using an online sample of 566 adult participants (250 men and 291 women) from the general population of Canada and the U.S., four classes were identified based on reactions of arousal and discomfort toward the proposed scenarios: Indifferent (relatively low arousal and discomfort to all scenarios, 37%), Romantic (high arousal solely for the romance scenario, high discomfort toward other scenarios, 22%), Enthusiastic (high arousal and low discomfort in response to all scenarios, 26%), and Dissonant (relatively high arousal and discomfort toward all scenarios, 15%). These classes were then compared to examine differences in terms of the following psychosexual characteristics: gender, experiences of childhood sexual abuse, sexual compulsion, and romantic attachment. Findings illustrated distinct patterns of reactions toward fantasies and confirmed the presence of links between reactions toward sexual fantasies, psychosexual characteristics, and traumatic life experiences. This suggests that the relationship between individuals and their sexual fantasies may be indicative of their overall relationship with sexuality.

Dating violence (DV) is a widespread social issue that has numerous deleterious repercussions on youths’ health. Family and peer risk factors for DV have been widely studied, but with inconsistent methodologies, which complicates global comprehension of the phenomenon. Protective factors, although understudied, constitutes a promising line of research for prevention. To date, there is no comprehensive quantitative review attempting to summarize knowledge on both family and peer factors that increase or decrease the risk for adolescents and emerging adults DV victimization. The current meta-analysis draws on 87 studies with a total sample of 278,712 adolescents and young adults to examine effect sizes of the association between various family and peer correlates of DV victimization. Results suggest small, significant effect sizes for all the family (various forms of child maltreatment, parental support, and parental monitoring) and peer factors (peer victimization, sexual harassment, affiliation with deviant peers, and supportive/prosocial peers) in the prediction of DV. With few exceptions, forms of DV (psychological, physical, and sexual), gender, and age did not moderate the strength of these associations. In addition, no difference was found between the magnitude of family and peer factors’ effect sizes, suggesting that these determinants are equally important in predicting DV. The current results provide future directions for examining relations between risk and protective factors for DV and indicate that both peers and family should be part of the development of efficient prevention options.

Being in a satisfying romantic relationship in adolescence is associated to many short- and long-term benefits. However, more research is needed to better understand what promotes relationship satisfaction in adolescence. To address this gap, this study used a diary approach to examine the relation between disagreements and daily variations in adolescent romantic relationship satisfaction. A sample of 186 adolescents was recruited (Mage = 17.08 years, SD = 1.48; 56% female). Multilevel modeling was used to evaluate how disagreement occurrences, resolution, and resolution strategies were related to daily perceived relationship satisfaction at both the between- and within-subjects levels. At the within-subjects level, satisfaction was lower on days when a disagreement occurred, especially for girls. Adolescents also reported lower relationship satisfaction on days when they used more destructive strategies than usual, and higher relationship satisfaction on days when they successfully resolved disagreements. This study demonstrates that adolescents’ evaluations of their daily relationship satisfaction vary as function of disagreement processes.

Sexual dysfunctions (SD; e.g., female sexual interest/arousal disorder, erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, delayed ejaculation, genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, etc.) affect up to a third of individuals, impairing sexuality, intimate relationships, and mental health. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of SDs and their sexual, relational, and psychological correlates between a sample of adults consulting in sex therapy ( n = 963) and a community-based sample ( n = 1,891), as well as examine barriers to sexual health services for SD and the characteristics of individuals seeking such services. Participants completed an online survey. Analyses showed that participants in the clinical sample reported lower levels of sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction and higher levels of psychological distress than participants in the community-based sample. Moreover, higher SD rates were related to lower relational satisfaction and higher psychological distress in the community sample, and to lower sexual satisfaction in both samples. Among participants in the community sample who sought professional services for SD, 39.6% reported that they were unable to access services, and 58.7% reported at least one barrier to receiving help. This study provides important data regarding the prevalence of SD and the link between SD and psychosexual health in clinical and nonclinical samples, as well as barriers to treatment access.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern. Yet, despite an increasingly extensive literature on interpersonal violence, research on male victims of IPV remains sparse and the associations between different forms of child maltreatment (CM) and IPV victimization and perpetration in men remains unclear. The present meta-analysis evaluated five different forms of CM (sexual, physical, and psychological abuses, neglect, and witnessing IPV) as they predicted sexual, psychological, and physical IPV perpetration and victimization in men. Overall, most available studies examined men as perpetrators of IPV, whereas studies of victimization in men were relatively scarce. Results reveal an overall significant association (r = .19) between CM and IPV. The magnitude of this effect did not vary as a function of type (perpetration vs. victimization) or form (sexual, psychological, or physical) of IPV. Although all forms of CM were related to IPV, with effect sizes ranging from .05 (neglect and IPV victimization) to .26 (psychological abuse and IPV victimization), these associations varied in magnitude according to the type of CM. Findings suggest the importance of expanding research on CM and IPV to include a range of different kinds of abuse and neglect and to raise concerns about the experience of men as both victims and perpetrators of IPV.

The current study aims to validate the French version of the Inventory of Altered Self-Capacities (IASC; Briere, 2000) in order to allow and facilitate the use of this measure for French-speaking researchers and clinicians. Results revealed a good internal consistency of every scales in both a clinical sample of clients seeking sex-therapy service in a large metropolitan area (n = 395), and adults from the general population from the same area (n = 959). Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) indicated that the original structure of the questionnaire was a good representation of the data in both samples, supporting a first-order model with 7 factors. Descriptive analyses revealed that clients seeking sex-therapy reported statistically significant higher mean scores of altered self-capacities than adults from the general population. Bivariate analyses showed that altered self-capacities were associated with childhood cumulative trauma, anxious attachment and psychological distress. Overall, results indicated good psychometric qualities of the French version of the IASC that could allow French-speaking professionals to assess self-capacities in treatment with their clients, as well as in research protocols. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The purpose of the study was to validate the Brief Sexual Power Dynamics Questionnaire, which evaluates sexual interest in practices involving power hierarchies (i.e., dominance, submission, tender sex). This questionnaire is a translated and shortened scale based on the original questionnaire Attraction to Sexual Power Dynamics- Revised. Two separate samples were recruited. The first included adults consulting in sex therapy ( n = 563). The second group comprised adult couples from the Quebec community ( n = 566; 283 couples). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tripartite factor structure of the questionnaire. The results show satisfactory internal consistency for each factor. Bivariate analyses highlighted, as expected, weak associations between sexual power dynamics and relationship and sexual satisfaction, romantic attachment, and intimate partner violence. This validation study contributes to providing researchers with a measure of sexual power dynamics, promoting the expansion of empirical studies on the subject. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global phenomenon of concern, as is childhood cumulative trauma (CCT). To better understand the developmental trajectory that leads a male survivor of CCT to perpetrate IPV behaviors in adulthood, this study examines two underlying mechanisms: romantic attachment insecurities (avoidance and anxiety) and emotional dysregulation. A sample of 908 men seeking help from a community organization specializing in IPV treatment completed a series of validated questionnaires assessing the constructs under study. The results of the path analysis revealed sequential indirect links between CCT and the perpetration of psychological and physical IPV and coercive control via attachment-related anxiety and then emotional dysregulation. As for attachment-related avoidance, only a direct link was found to be significant with the perpetration of psychological IPV. From a clinical perspective, these results highlight the relevance of considering a history of CCT, attachment insecurities, and emotional dysregulation as developmental risk factors for IPV in the treatment of men. These results enable us to formulate recommendations for preventing the intergenerational transmission of IPV within families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Considering the long-term deleterious consequences of child maltreatment, it is crucial to better understand the pathways leading to psychological outcomes in emerging adulthood. This study contributes to the existing knowledge through the examination of the role of romantic attachment as a mechanism explaining the association between child maltreatment and psychological adaptation. Prospective and retrospective data from 605 school-based participants (56.0% women) from the general population involved in a 10-year study were used. Child maltreatment, including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, was measured at age 14 years (mean age = 14.04, SD = 0.21). Ten years later (mean age = 24.5, SD = 0.50), similar forms of maltreatment, in addition to neglect, were measured, along with adult romantic attachment, self-esteem, and psychological distress. The results of path analyses, controlling for self-esteem and psychological distress at age 14, revealed that child maltreatment was associated with increases in psychological distress and with decreases in self-esteem in emerging adults, through their levels of romantic attachment anxiety. The results also revealed that cross-sectional analyses involving retrospective measurements of child maltreatment at age 24 were as valuable as longitudinal analyses involving its measurement at age 14. Those results confirm the importance of romantic attachment in survivors’ well-being, and suggest that attachment may be a key target for intervention with adolescents or emerging adults.