Consensual Relationships Research Articles

Rights, Responsibility and Adolescence: Rethinking the Age of Criminal Responsibility in Consensual Relationships

Rights, Responsibility and Adolescence: Rethinking the Age of Criminal Responsibility in Consensual Relationships

Jeremy Bentham on adult-child sex and infanticide

ABSTRACT Jeremy Bentham is becoming increasingly well-known for his defence of consensual male same-sex relationships on the grounds of an ‘all-comprehensive' sexual liberty. The question arises whether his defence of pæderasty, or ‘the love of boys', and hence of adult-child sexual relationships, on the same principle makes his defence of male same-sex relationships problematic. This paper investigates the extent to which, under Bentham's principle, adults would not be legally punished for having consensual sexual relationships with children, or rather with adolescents. It concludes that Bentham’s position in relation to sexual relationships between adult males and under-age females followed the provisions of the English law of his time, while his position in relation to sexual relationships between adult males and under-age males is little different from the provisions of the law of our own time. Bentham was, moreover, concerned about the reputational damage suffered by unmarried mothers, and hence recommended the decriminalizing of infanticide. In the post-Malthusian age, Bentham, like many of his contemporaries, had become concerned about the potential suffering caused by over-population. His aims in this respect would be met by the forms of contraception and abortion available today.

Invisibilized victims: the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the European context / Víctimas invisibilizadas: la explotación sexual de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el contexto europeo

This scoping review explores key aspects arising from recent research on child sexual exploitation (CSE) within the European context. CSE represents a form of sexual violence occurring across all regions and countries, impacting the most vulnerable children and adolescents. The exploiter or exploiters respond to the victim’s unmet basic needs and lead them to believe that they are engaging in a consensual exchange and relationship. This social issue affects between 1% and 2.5% of European boys and girls, with these figures being notably higher among specific high-risk groups. Preventing situations of CSE, identifying them and intervening effectively with their victims is only possible if Europe acknowledges and addresses the reality of this serious issue of personal and social vulnerability that affects a significant number of boys and girls within our borders. It has been invisible for far too long.

Looking beyond marital status: What we can learn from relationship status measures

AbstractObjectiveWith needed and growing attention to sexual minorities and unmarried individuals, there is a need to consider how best to capture relationships and relationship organization in family studies.BackgroundTraditional measures of marital status are commonly used to examine differences in relationships and socioeconomic outcomes, but they do not adequately capture the diversity of relationship experiences and leave certain types of relationship experiences invisible.MethodThis article examines the inclusion of a relationship measure in the American Marriage Survey, a national probability‐based sample of 2806 adults in the United States, to provide a more diverse and expansive perspective on relationships and relationship organization. While there is a great deal of overlap between those who are married or cohabiting (marital status) and those who are in an exclusive relationship (relationship status), there is also potential for variation in what kinds of relationships, if any, people are in.ResultsWe find that the relationship measure is particularly useful in showing that a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual individuals are in an exclusive relationship and also that gender and sexual minorities are more likely than cisgender and heterosexual individuals to be in consensual nonmonogamous relationships. This article also provides direction on re‐coding open text responses from the relationship status measure.ConclusionWe conclude that a relationship status measure allows for greater inclusivity and visibility of sexual minorities and unmarried persons, including but not limited to queer individuals, families, and communities, as well as consensual nonmonogamous relationships.

Association of same-sex criminalisation laws and national HIV policies with HIV testing in African MSM: an ecological single-level and multilevel cross-sectional study of sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundHIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains high compared with the general population. Many countries in the region still criminalise consensual homosexual...

Queer Affirmative Practice in Africa: A Social Work Practice Model for Working with LGBTQIA+ People

Despite the legislation put in place by the United Nations, Africa continues to grapple with issues of monosexism and heterosexism. In fact, of the 54 African countries, 33 have criminalised queer relationships, a legacy primarily attributed to colonial rule. However, social work literature has recently introduced a culturally sensitive model for working with the LGBTQIA+ community, known as Queer affirmative action. By utilising available literature and adopting an intersectional approach, which was collected and analysed through PRISMA, this paper aims to discuss the Africanising of sexuality in Africa. It argues that it is crucial to undertake a critical analysis of the colonial legacy and its impact on queer identities. Furthermore, the article posits that social work education must incorporate knowledge of the intersection of gender, sexuality, and other identity markers to form an inclusive and comprehensive approach towards practice. An affirmative philosophy to social work practice can serve as a counterweight to all punitive and discriminatory practices. Thus, in Africa, the most effective way to improve the well-being of queer individuals is to eradicate structural forms of inequality and decriminalise same-sex consensual relationships.

THE CONCEPT OF “COMING OUT” OR SELF-DISCLOSURE OF LGBTQ IN WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND ITS IMPACT ON THE INDIAN COMMUNITY

Coming out is the process of accepting one's sexual orientation or gender identity and sharing it openly with other people. It's like a ritual for Westerners to come out after reaching puberty. When someone is ready to come out, their family, friends, and peer group support them. In some states, it is also considered a celebration. The mindset and attitude of people towards LGBTQIA are Different based on Education, Culture, attitudes of people, etc. It is a phenomenon that is necessitated by the prevalence of societal heteronormativity with the recent legal decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relationships in India, there is renewed interest in and emergent necessity to expand upon the existing academic discourse on the lives, rights, health, and well-being of same-sex attracted individuals in India. This article focus on the importance of coming out or self-disclosure of gender orientation of LGBTQIA in India. India is the most populated nation in the world but the acceptance of the LGBTQIA community is still a hard topic from the mindset of parents and society. The Western culture is very much impacted on the Indian community so the coming out of LGBTQIA can be more complicated for teens who depend on parents or other adults for care and well-being in India. In this paper, The author tries to indicate the impact of Western culture on gender disclosure in India.

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Adolescent abortions in the Covid-19 landscape: Exposing the legal Achilles' heel.

The law ought to ensure that reproductive health services are accessible to all persons - married or unmarried - without subjecting them to heightened scrutiny or procedural requirements. However, the intersection of various laws and their impact on the willingness of medical professionals to offer abortion and reproductive health services to adolescents makes timely, safe, and affordable abortions difficult for adolescents to obtain. This challenge is exacerbated by a lack of public healthcare facilities, particularly in rural areas, and the overall restricted access to healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic. We delve into how legal uncertainties and gaps in multiple legislations pose obstacles for adolescents seeking abortion services, particularly in consensual sexual relationships. We specifically examine the unintended barriers stemming from the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), which categorises consensual sexual relationships among adolescents as sexual offences without recognising their evolving sexual autonomy. Notably, POCSO includes a mandatory reporting provision, compelling the reporting of all sexual offences involving a "child" to law enforcement. This complexity is further compounded by the requirement for third-party authorisation for abortion by medical boards. The Indian courts, in rendering inconsistent, moralistic, and biased judgments on adolescent access to abortion services during the Covid-19 pandemic, contributed to the complexities.

Criminalizing Consensual Romantic Relationships and Impact on Adolescents under the POCSO act, 2012 in India & Comparative Analysis of Close-in Age Exemption to Foreign Legislations

Criminalizing Consensual Romantic Relationships and Impact on Adolescents under the POCSO act, 2012 in India & Comparative Analysis of Close-in Age Exemption to Foreign Legislations

‘At the end of their relationship, that man offered her a house’: Qualitatively exploring Congolese women’s agency in navigating sexual relations with UN peacekeepers within the context of a patriarchal setting in eastern DRC

ABSTRACT The UN’s Zero Tolerance Policy, which bans all relationships between UN staff and locals, portrays all relationships as exploitative, fails to account for nuances in these relationships and does not acknowledge the agency of local women or communities. This study uses community-based qualitative data from eastern DRC that shares narratives on a wide variety of consensual relationships between peacekeepers and local women. Our paper uses a data-driven approach, including a post-colonial feminist lens, and ideas of structural agency to provide an expanded definition of agency that invites readers to re-examine their views of women in conflict settings. Finally, we provide clear recommendations for the UN and other international non-governmental agencies on policies related to sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Roots of the Soviet-Syrian Alliance: A Neo-Gramscian Perspective

The Soviet and Baath regimes enjoyed a consensual relationship between the 1940s and the 1980s. The nature of this relationship was shaped both by the need for an alliance in a period of Cold War bipolarity and by shared common ideological worldviews such as anti-imperialism and socialism. These relations were not free from pragmatism to a certain extent, as the degree of commitment to socialism and Pan-Arabism within the Baath Party sometimes fluctuated. Nevertheless, the generally close relationship between Syria and the USSR cannot be seen as a purely pragmatic strategy; rather, this relationship's ideational, institutional, and material dimensions must be considered as a whole. In this context, this article examines Soviet-Syrian relations from the perspective of neo-Gramscian hegemony to develop a framework for understanding these three key factors behind this alliance.

Polygamous Interest in a Mononormative Nation: The Roles of Sex and Sociosexuality in Polygamous Interest in a Heterosexual Sample from the UK.

Polygamy is a form of "one-sided" consensually non-monogamous relationship where one person has multiple committed partners, each of whom is only involved with that one person. It was likely a reoccurring feature of ancestral mating that posed adaptive problems for our ancestors. Yet polygamy, and multi-partnering more generally, is understudied in Western cultures, raising questions about the existence of polygamous interest and whether this is calibrated adaptively to personal conditions. In two studies, we examined polygamous interest in two heterosexual online samples from the UK. In Study 1 (N = 393), modest interest was found for polygamous relationships overall. Men were six times more open to polygyny than women, but there was little sex difference in openness to polyandry. Further analysis revealed that all forms of multi-partnering were undesirable relative to singlehood and monogamy; however, consensual multi-partner relationships were less undesirable than non-consensual ones. Sex differences were largest for polygyny and arrangements where men had agreed access to a casual partner alongside a committed one, yet these were two of the most acceptable forms of multi-partnering when men and women's responses were combined. Sociosexuality positively predicted interest in most forms of multi-partnering. Study 2 (N = 735) focused on polygyny and added status-linked traits as predictors. The results of Study 1 were broadly replicated, though the status-linked traits did not predict polygynous interest specifically. Instead, sociosexuality and male intrasexual competitiveness uniquely predicted general interest in multi-partner relationships. Overall, interest in polygamy appears to emerge despite social discouragement and sex differences in interest track the relative costs and benefits associated with it. However, there is no strong evidence that polygamous interest is uniquely calibrated to personal conditions when compared to other forms of multi-partnering.

LGBTQ Rights in India: Analysing the Supreme Court's Verdict

This paper aims to critically examine the evolution of LGBTQ rights in India, with a focus on the landmark judgments delivered by the Supreme Court. The legal landscape surrounding LGBTQ issues has witnessed significant changes, culminating in the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relationships and the recognition of the rights of the LGBTQ community. This paper will explore the judicial journey, analyze the implications of the Supreme Court's verdicts, and assess the current status of LGBTQ rights in India.

Consensual nonmonogamous relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic

With its emphasis on practices like social distancing and periods of intermittent isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic likely presented unique challenges for individuals who engage in consensual nonmonogamy (CNM). Interviews with 16 practitioners of CNM in the United States conducted in May–July, 2021 revealed five themes about how COVID-19 impacted their relationships: (1) slowing down relationship activity and progress; (2) speeding up relationship changes and milestones; (3) providing the opportunity for reflecting on nonmonogamous identities and relationships; (4) facilitation of clarifying intentions around nonmonogamous relationships; and (5) offering unique opportunities to apply skills from safer sex negotiations to navigating safety with precautions related to COVID-19. Findings illuminate how members of a community whose intimate practices were uniquely impacted in a time of limited sociality made meaning of their experience and charted the course for relationship trajectories.

Understanding Relationship Labels: A Content Analysis of Consensual Non-monogamous Relationship Agreements

Understanding Relationship Labels: A Content Analysis of Consensual Non-monogamous Relationship Agreements

Motives for Sex and Sexual Perpetration in College Men: An Exploratory Study.

Prior research has rarely focused on sexual motives (e.g., motives for having sex) when studying sexual violence perpetration prevention. The current study examined the role of sexual motives alongside other risk factors like alcohol expectancies in predicting sexual violence. We analyzed data from 205 male college students; 36% reported sexual perpetration of some type. Participants completed a series of questionnaires in a randomized order, including: measures of prior sexual perpetration, sexual motives, rape myth acceptance, alcohol expectancies, and a measure of social desirability. Data were analyzed using a series of T-tests and logistic regressions. With one exception (coping motives), all sexual motives (intimacy, enhancement, self-affirmation, peer approval, and partner approval) were endorsed at higher levels by individuals who perpetrated sexual violence than those who did not (p < .05, Cohen's d = .25-.56). The partner approval motive significantly predicted sexual violence perpetration on its own. The enhancement motive, both independently and in interaction with alcohol expectancies for aggression, predicted sexual violence perpetration. Two other motives, intimacy and self-affirmation, were only significant in interaction with alcohol expectancies for aggression. All sexual motives were endorsed more frequently by those who perpetrated sexual violence than those who did not. Sexual motives had a complex interaction with alcohol expectancies in predicting sexual violence perpetration. The results suggest that intervention programs should emphasize healthy, consensual sexual relationships that do not involve alcohol.

Policy coordination and integration in local government: perspectives on barriers

The topic of policy integration has become an important component of several distinct lines of policy research. However, the concept of policy integration is notoriously difficult to specify and observe. This article provides valuable insights that explore the subjectivity of responses by political and administrative officials at the local level charged with policy integration. In response to its central question: ‘How do local politicians and civil servants perceive politico-administrative barriers facing policy coordination and integration?’ the study reveals political and managerial perceptions of key politicians and civil servants in local governments about the barriers to achieving policy integration. By contrast with other studies involving politico-administrative relations, it draws on a broader institutional context, inclusive of the complex and dynamic environment and local level environment. Its findings show that significant barriers to coordination and integration continue to limit the policy coordination and integration needed to address complex societal challenges. Using Q methodology, three perspectives emerge which provide crucial insights into the main barriers preventing integration. These findings adeptly depict the complex relationship between vertical, hierarchical relationships between politicians and bureaucrats, and the requirement for a more horizontal, consensual relationship in order to meet crosscutting societal challenges. In this way, the article offers a significant contribution to the scholarship on policy integration.

“Monogamy? In this Economy?”: Stigma and Resilience in Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships

Monogamous marriage, sometimes called “the bedrock of society,” still carries an apparent “halo” of moral superiority as a relationship structure. In contrast, consensual non-monogamous (CNM) configurations are stigmatized. Research indicates a connection between stigma, stress, and negative health outcomes, despite CNM comparing favorably with monogamy. The present study uses interviews to explore minority stress and resilience among individuals in CNM relationships. Participants experienced structural stigma as erasure, and interpersonal stigma as erasure and educational/emotional work. They also describe complex enmeshment between their relationship minority status and other aspects of their sexual and gender identities. Strategic disclosure and concealment were important management tools. Furthermore, managing individual (internalized) stigma was described as unlearning mononormative bias and surrounding oneself with supportive peers/allies. The strongest motivator for perseverance was the steadfast conviction that the advantages of CNM outweighed the challenges.

Polyfidelity Experiences, Loyalty Issues, and Triangulation Among Gay-male Couples

&lt;p&gt;本研究採用質性研究的敘說分析方法，透過伴侶觀點以及結構家族治療的視框，探討男同志在多重伴侶關係中之內涵。本研究以半結構式方法訪談一組男同志伴侶共三人，其多重伴侶關係經驗為六年。研究者依據個別及共同訪談的資料，呈現男同志在多重伴侶關係中個人的知覺與經驗，並整合三方資料編織出不同伴侶間的互動模式；主要研究結果發現如下：（1）本組男同志多重伴侶關係之內涵為「三人承諾彼此為伴侶，且情感與性關係是封閉在三人之間」，與先前西方學者進一步分類多重伴侶關係中的「複數忠誠」關係較為相似；（2）本組受訪男同志伴侶以「協商進入三人關係」來面對「精神出軌」事件，與過往異性戀研究中伴侶面對出軌事件的態度、方法較為不同；（3）本研究認為本組男同志複數忠誠關係的開展、維持，以及最後關係結束都與三角關係、忠誠議題有關；（4）本組男同志伴侶的界線始於模糊最後疏離，進而造成伴侶們情緒起伏、影響伴侶面對挑戰的能力。最後，根據以上研究結果提出對伴侶諮商實務工作的建議，以供後續相關人員作為參考。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Polyamorous relationships and other consensual non-monogamous relationships (CNM) have received more attention and interest from both scholars and popular communities in Western countries for more than 20 years. Contrarily, these have been underdiscussed in Taiwan. CNM relationships were mostly invisible in Taiwan; if mentioned, they were often solely connected to negative labels and stigmas. Only a handful of studies in Taiwan mention CNM relationships; fewer targeted polyamorous relationships and CNM relationships as the topic of their research and study. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;According to previous empirical studies in the U.S., polyamory and other CNM relationships are more common in gay-male communities. Although no empirical study has been conducted in Taiwan to estimate the population of CNM practitioners, comparatively more studies targeting gay-male relationships in Taiwan found some types of CNM relationships in their research. It is theorized that because gay-male individuals find themselves not fitting the heterosexual relationship norm, they have the opportunity to build their relationships from scratch. Because homosexual individuals have more opportunities to process and ponder what constitutes a relationship, it is easier for them to step out of monogamous norms and build their relationships differently. Considering the difficulty of recruiting polyamorous couples in Taiwan, the present study targeted gay-male couples as the participants of this study.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Aiming to understand how gay couples build and sustain polyamorous relationships and their living experiences, the research question of this study was: What are the interaction patterns and dynamics among gaymale couples’ polyamorous relationships? &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Polyamorous relationships often involve more than two people, and the dynamics and interactions could be complicated and intricate. To better understand the dynamics of the relationships and interactions between couples, the present study utilized the Structural Family Therapy framework as a theoretical lens. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;To uncover the mystery of this often-neglected and stigmatized relationship and provide luminance and clarity to Taiwanese scholar and popular community, this qualitative research was conducted through narrative approach aiming to analyze the interaction patterns and relationship dynamics of polyamorous relationships among gay couples. A polyamorous couple, consisting of three participants aged 32-35 years, were recruited. Their polyamorous relationship lasted for six years but ended during the study. The present study used semi-structured interviews to collect data; joint interviews were conducted with couple participants, and individual interviews were followed up to collect individual views from each participant. However, only two of the three participants were interviewed individually because of their breakup.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;From the interviews conducted, the following conclusions were drawn. (1) The present gay-male participants agreed not to seek romantic or sexual connections outside of their established relationship structure. Their polyamorous relationships became &amp;quot;closed&amp;quot; and all members engaged in &amp;quot;polyfidelity&amp;quot; relationship. (2) Unlike most heterosexual couples in previous studies, the present gay-male couple negotiated and stepped into a polyamorous relationship to deal with their cheating issues. (3) The researchers believe the reason this polyfidelity relationship started and ended ,according to a systemic perspective and structural family therapy lens, was related to triangulation and loyalty issues. The ways in which triangulation and loyalty issues were maintained and ended the relationships were discussed. (4) The boundaries between these gay-male participants were either diffused or rigid and their relationships were both enmeshed and disengaged. Researchers believe that these boundary issues may raise negative emotions, such as jealousy between couples, and compromise couples’ ability to deal with couple-hood challenges. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Finally, resources and suggestions are presented for mental health, marriage, and family professionals.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Between metropole and colony: Bordels militaires de campagne in colonial Morocco and France in the twentieth century

Abstract Bordels militaires de campagne (BMCs) were French military brothels in North Africa under colonial occupation. This system was extended to metropolitan France during the First and Second World Wars due to fears of sexual violence or consensual relationships between Moroccan men and French women. Even after brothels were banned in metropolitan France in 1946, French military authorities illegally brought hundreds of Moroccan women to France to work in BMCs because of the Moroccan soldiers still present in the metropole. With poor living conditions, underage labour and a high workload, French military brothels exploited Moroccan women to theoretically ‘protect’ European women against sexual violence from Moroccan men. This was based on a racialized understanding of Moroccan masculinity. This article uses the experiences of these Moroccan women and details of the sex work system in Morocco to understand the systemic cruelty behind the operation of these French military brothels.