An Examination of Gender of Aggressor and Target (Un)wanted Sex and Nonconsent on Perceptions of Sexual (Un)wantedness, Justifiability and Consent

Abstract

This investigation examines the relationship between gender of sexual aggressor and perceptions of sexual aggressor justifiability and target (un)wantedness and (non)consent. Collecting online data, 342 men and 375 women (ages 18 to 63 (M=22.22, SD=5.53), involved in various relational stages, participated. Results indicate that sexual aggression on an unwanting and nonconsenting target is perceived as more grievous than sexual aggression on a wanting, but nonconsenting, target, and the impact appears to be more pronounced for women than it is for men. Specifically, when the man is the sexual aggressor on a female target, it is perceived more negatively than when the woman is the sexual aggressor and the man is the target. Similarly, a woman pursuing unwanted sex by the male target is not perceived as negatively as when a man pursues sex with an unwanting female target. Discussion follows addressing how the findings inform sexual script theory and stereotypes about men, women and sexuality.

Consent, wantedness, and pleasure: Three dimensions affecting the perceived stress of and judgements of rape in sexual encounters.

“…The presence of wantedness and pleasure also led to a lower judgment of rape, consistent with evidence that these situations are judged as less grievous than assault on a nonwanting victim (Emmers-Sommer, 2015). Although these situations appear significantly distressing to participants, the low ratings for these being considered rape maybe due to the participants interpreting the situation as consent according to their own social norms and schemas (e.g., Beres, 2007).…”