(Hetero)sexual Compliance with Unwanted Casual Sex: Associations with Feelings about First Sex and Sexual Self-Perceptions

Abstract

Sexual compliance involves willing consent to unwanted sex. The current study examined experiences and correlates of compliant sex with casual partners. Guided by sexual script theory, feelings about first partnered sex and sexual self-perceptions were identified as possible correlates of compliance. Potential moderating effects of gender also were explored. Sexually active heterosexual undergraduates (N=258) in the northeastern U.S. responded to self-report measures of desire, pleasure, and emotional discomfort associated with first partnered sex, sexual self-awareness, sexual refusal efficacy, and compliance with vaginal and oral sex. About a third of the sample reported complying with casual sex at least once. Overall, very few participants who complied with a casual partner also complied with a committed partner. More women than men complied with giving oral sex to a casual partner; there were no gender differences in compliance with either vaginal sex or receiving oral sex. Emotional discomfort with first partnered sex was positively associated with compliant casual sex only among women. Although women reported less desire and pleasure associated with first partnered sex than men, neither desire nor pleasure from first sex were associated with casual compliance for either gender. Refusal efficacy was negatively associated with compliant casual sex for both women and men. The implications of these findings for future research and educating college students about compliance and its correlates are discussed.

Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses

“…Traditional gender roles and sexual scripts ascribe that women are responsible for asserting their (lack of) desire in sexual situations and play the role as sexual gatekeeper [ 14 , 32 , 109 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 ]. Yet, the existence of the social script that women should avoid saying no, means that clear refusal in sexual encounters appears harder for women, especially those who more heavily adhere to gender- and sex-role stereotypes [ 105 , 122 , 125 , 126 ].…”

“…This study found that 81 percent of women reported multiple sexual victimization experiences [ 62 ]. Another study found that women that were more likely to comply with unwanted sexual advances were also more likely to report emotional discomfort during their first sexual encounter, suggesting that historical experiences influence their compliance to future unwanted sexual advances [ 123 ]. Yet another study found that women directly attributed their consenting to unwanted sex due to previous sexual trauma they experienced, despite this question not being part of the research design [ 140 ].…”

A Longitudinal Study of Problems in Sexual Functioning and Related Sexual Distress Among Middle to Late Adolescents

“…Somewhat surprising was the fairly high rates of no/ low sexual satisfaction and desire among male adolescents, although both erection problems and lacking desire are common among adult men and increase steadily over time [13]. These rates support research demonstrating that a notable minority of young men comply with unwanted (although not necessarily coerced) sexual activity [38]. In support of this argument was the finding that endorsement of more traditional beliefs about men's sexual roles (e.g., "A real man is always ready for sex") identified male adolescents at somewhat higher risk for problems.…”

Scripting Sexual Consent: Internalized Traditional Sexual Scripts and Sexual Consent Expectancies Among College Students

“…Feminist theorists suggest that gender is created and enacted through social interactions, and the structures of power create contexts in which violence is tolerated and perpetuated in expressions of masculinity and femininity. Prior research has suggested that negotiation of sexual consent often follows traditional sexual scripts that favor men's sexual aggression and women's sexual acquiescence (e.g., Bay‐Cheng & Eliseo‐Arras, ; Jozkowski et al, ; Katz & Schneider, ). Sexual consent negotiation that follows such scripts exemplifies an imbalance of power between men and women.…”

“…Sexual scripts reflect the gendered power differentials in traditional gender roles (Bay‐Cheng & Eliseo‐Arras, ; Cannon et al, ; Katz & Schneider, ; Ryan, ). In the United States, “the dynamics of the traditional sexual script create a situation in which men are expected to ask women for consent, women are expected to refuse sex, at least initially, and men are expected to ignore such refusals and continue to pursue a sexual encounter” (Jozkowski et al, , p. 905).…”