428 Lindley Hall
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
Dr. Peterson is a clinical psychologist, a Professor of Applied Psychology in Education and Research Methodology, and a Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute. She also is Director of the Kinsey Institute’s Sexual Assault Research Initiative.
Dr. Peterson researches sexual consent, sexual assault, sexual coercion, and unwanted sex. She has studied men’s and women’s experiences as both victims and perpetrators of sexual aggression. Dr. Peterson also has an interest in methodological research that focuses on improving self-report measurement of sexual victimization and perpetration.
Dr. Peterson is a licensed psychologist with specialized training in sex therapy. In 2017, she edited the Wiley Handbook of Sex Therapy, which won the book of the year award from the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT).
Dr. Peterson is a fellow and past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and a fellow of the American Psychological Association.
Education
- Ph.D., Psychology (Clinical Emphasis), University of Kansas
- M.A., Psychology (Clinical Emphasis), University of Kansas
- Graduate Certificate, Gender Studies, University of Kansas
- B.A., Psychology, Macalester College
Selected publications
Books
Peterson, Z. D. (Ed.). (2017). The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of sex therapy. Oxford, England: Wiley-Blackwell. (Winner of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) Book of the Year Award.)
Journal articles and book chapters
Peterson, Z. D., Richmond, K. P., Holt, L., Beale, K. S., & Cook, V. (2026). Can a sex-positive sex education intervention reduce rape-supportive attitudes? Formative research, pilot randomized controlled trial, and evaluation of self-selection bias. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 21(1), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2024.2431871
Peterson, Z. D. (2024). Beyond sexual victimization and perpetration: Men, masculinities, and unwanted consensual sex. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 25(4), 402–417. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000475
Peterson, Z. D., Koss, M. P., & Anderson, R. A. (2024). Preliminary prevalence estimates of sexual exploitation as measured by the Sexual Experiences Survey Victimization (SES-V) in a national U.S. sample. Journal of Sex Research, 61(6), 904-921. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2024.2359639
Peterson, Z. D., Carver, D. N, Klann, E. M., Gesselman, A. N., Akers, B., & Garcia, J. R. (2023). Sexual harassment and assault in public spaces: Individual vulnerability and contextual risk factors. Sex Roles, 86(11-12), 685-701. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01416-3
Peterson, Z. D. (2023). Examining the psychometric properties of the Sexual Initiation Strategies Scale (SISS): A new self-report measure of sexual aggression perpetration history. Journal of Sex Research, 60(1), 91-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2022.2130856
Peterson, Z. D., Beagley, M. C., McCallum, E., & Artime, T. M. (2019). Sexual attitudes and behaviors among men who are victims, perpetrators, or both victims and perpetrators of adult sexual assault. Psychology of Violence, 9(2), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000187
Research interests
- Sexual assault / sexual coercion / rape
- Sexual consent and sexual communication
- Gender roles and their relationship to sex
- Unwanted sex and sexual ambivalence