Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences Research Articles

Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences of Adolescents in Urban India

Purpose Research from developing countries suggests that nonconsensual sexual experiences are common, yet these experiences remain understudied. Methods We describe the prevalence and factors associated with nonconsensual sexual experiences of unmarried adolescents (583 boys and 474 girls), ages 15–19 years, from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Delhi, India. We also describe their reports of perpetrators. Results Thirty-two percent of boys and 42% of girls reported being touched against their will. After multivariate adjustment, both boys and girls who had ever worked (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76, p = .05 and OR = 1.79, p = .004, respectively) and those who had a friend of the opposite gender (OR = 3.64, p = .0001 and OR = 2.19, p = .0001, respectively) were more likely to report the experience. The most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (60%) and strangers for girls (93%). Fifteen percent of boys and 3% of girls reported that someone forcibly tried to have a physical relationship with them. Boys who had ever worked (OR = 3.73, p = .007) were more likely to report the experience. Both boys and girls who had a friend of the opposite sex were more likely to report attempted forced physical relationship (OR = 3.73, p = .0001 and OR = 3.41, p = .03, respectively). The most commonly reported perpetrators were female friends for boys (72%) and neighbors (60%) for girls. Conclusions Nonconsensual sex is a common experience for these adolescents and there are important gender differences in experience and type of perpetrator. The findings underscore the need to develop programs that enable young people to prevent and cope with nonconsensual sexual experiences.

Conceptualizing the “Wantedness” of Women's Consensual and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: Implications for How Women Label Their Experiences With Rape

Sex is often conceptualized either as wanted and consensual or as unwanted and nonconsensual, reflecting an implicit model of wanting that is unidimensional and dichotomous and that conflates wanting and consenting. This study has three objectives: developing a multidimensional model for conceptualizing the wantedness of a sexual act, using this model to compare women's experiences with rape and consensual sex, and assessing whether wantedness is related to rape acknowledgment. Participants were college women who described their experiences with rape (n = 77) or consensual sexual intercourse (n = 87). Results supported a multidimensional model of sexual wanting and a wanting—consenting distinction. Compared with acknowledged rape victims, unacknowledged rape victims reported wanting the sexual intercourse more despite not having consented.

Conceptualizing the "Wantedness" of Women's Consensual and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: Implications for How Women Label Their Experiences With Rape

Conceptualizing the "Wantedness" of Women's Consensual and Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: Implications for How Women Label Their Experiences With Rape

Lifetime prevalence, characteristics, and associated problems of non-consensual sex in men: cross sectional survey

Objective: To identify the lifetime prevalence of non-consensual sexual experiences in men, the relationship between such experiences as a child and as an adult, associated psychological and behavioural problems, and...

Almost 3% of men report non-consensual sexual experiences as adults

Almost 3% of men report non-consensual sexual experiences as adults

Feigning sexual desire: Consenting to unwanted sexual activity in heterosexual dating relationships

The prevalence rates of unwanted sexual activity indicate that a substantial proportion of both men and women are at risk for experiencing unwanted (nonconsensual) sexual activity. However, little is known about the extent to which men and women consent to unwanted sexual activity, such as when a person indicates willingness to engage in a sexual activity at a time when he or she experiences no sexual desire. In the current study, 80 male and 80 female U.S. college students involved in committed dating relationships kept diaries of their sexual interactions for two weeks. More than one third (38%) of the participants reported consenting to unwanted sexual activity during this period. The most common motives for engaging in this behavior were to satisfy a partner's needs, to promote intimacy, and to avoid relationship tension. Most participants reported positive outcomes associated with these motives. The results indicate that previous estimates of the prevalence of unwanted (nonconsensual) sexual experiences may actually represent a confound of nonconsensual and consensual forms.

Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences in Precollege Women: Prevalence and Risk Factors

The authors of this study examined the prevalence of nonconsensual sexual experiences in dating situations among a sample of 330 incoming female college students. Results indicated that 38.5% of women reported experiencing at least one form of sexual victimization in dating, ranging from unwanted sexual contact to rape. Victimization was related to history of childhood sexual abuse as well as previous consensual sexual activity. Discussion focuses on the need for education and prevention programs during the secondary school years and counseling assistance for college‐age victims.

The Wyatt Sex History Questionnaire

The complexities of developing appropriate formats for obtaining sexual histories that include women's consensual and coercive sexual experiences are discussed in this paper. The Wyatt Sex History Questionnaire (WSHQ), used with a multi-ethnic sample of women, is described to obtain incidents of non-consensual sexual abuse. The advantages of using a face-to-face format to obtain incidents of child sexual victimization are highlighted. In order to assess a range of effects of women's consensual sexual functioning, items of the WSHQ, administered in telephone and face-to-face interviews, through self report measures and indirect questioning using randomized responses, were compared for their effectiveness in obtaining consensual sexual experiences. The advantages of using face-to-face interview techniques with multi-ethnic community sample to assess the affects of non-consensual sexual experiences in childhood on women's consensual sexual practices is discussed.