Effects of General and Sexual Aggression on the Job, Health and Psychological Outcomes of Women Reservists in the U.S. Armed Forces

We examined the unique and joint effects of general and sexual aggression on the job, health, and psychological outcomes of women in the reserve component of the U.S. military with varying activation and deployment experiences (<i>n</i> = 13,541). We expected that general and sexual aggression would negatively influence women's job, health, and psychological outcomes, and that the effects of general aggression would be stronger than the effects of sexual aggression on these outcomes. Further, we evaluated whether aggressive behaviors combined in an additive, adaptive or amplified manner to influence women's outcomes. Consistent with our hypotheses, both general and sexual aggression experiences were associated with decreased satisfaction with work, coworkers and leaders, lower organizational commitment, poorer physical health and increased psychological distress; the effects of general aggression were stronger than the effects of sexual aggression on women's outcomes; and the combined effects of general and sexual aggression on women's outcomes were best characterized in terms of an adaptive response. Results were consistent for women reservists regardless of their activation or deployment experience. We discuss various implications of our findings for future research in this area.