Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses
Abstract
:1. Introduction
Research Gaps This Paper Seeks to Address
2. Sexual Coercion
2.1. Sexual Coercion: Operationalizations, Definitions, and Conceptual Arguments
2.2. Prevalence of VSC on College Campuses
3. Consent
3.1. Definitions of Consent
3.2. Negotiations of (Non-)Consent in Heterosexual Encounters
3.2.1. Women’s (Coerced) Consent to Unwanted Sex as a Result of VSC
3.2.2. Men’s Response to Non-Consent
4. The Relationship between VSC and Consent
4.1. Sexual Compliance
4.2. Consent Resulting from VSC Is Not Freely Given and Therefore Akin to Sexual Assault
4.2.1. VSC (and Force) Would Not Be Present If Consent Was Given Initially
4.2.2. Consent as a Result of VSC Is Not Freely Given
4.3. Toward a New Conceptualization of Unwanted Sex
5. Discussion
5.1. Sexual Assault Is the Result of Gender Imbalances in Society
5.2. College Campuses Are Places Where There Is a High Risk of Sexual Assault
5.3. VSC Is a Tactic Used by Some Men to Obtain Sex from Unwilling Partners
5.4. Negotiations of Sexual (Non-)Consent Are Affected by Gendered Norms and Sexual Scripts
5.5. Consent Resulting from VSC Should Not Be Considered Freely Given Consent
5.6. Affirmative Consent
5.7. Future Research Directions to Consider
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Gap | Literature | How We Plan to Address the Gap |
---|---|---|
Definitions, Operationalizations, and Prevalence of (Verbal) Sexual Coercion | There is no consistent definition in the literature for sexual coercion or verbal sexual coercion in particular. This is despite that numerous studies have found that verbal sexual coercion is more common than other perpetration tactics [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50]. Alcohol- and/or drug- involved rape, as distinct from other forms of rape, has been reviewed elsewhere [51,52], but reviews on sexual coercion and the different ways it has been operationalized and studied are lacking. | Discuss how (verbal) sexual coercion has been defined and operationalized. Then discuss the prevalence of verbal sexual coercion particularly in the college context. |
Definitions and Negotiations of (Non-)Consent | There is no coherent or consistent definition of consent [32,53], despite the fact that consent is the demarcation between rape and sex and remains a central concern of rape law and policies as well as scholarly inquiry into the problem of rape [10,17,54]. | Provide a brief overview of how consent has been defined and how (non-)consent is negotiated among college students. |
Status of Unwanted Sex and the Relationship Between Verbal Sexual Coercion and Consent | Studies have not thoroughly discussed the relationship between consent and coercion. Over twenty years ago, Muehlenhard [55] highlighted the complexity surrounding both sexual coercion and consent and the relationship between them, and recently suggested that these issues remain today [32]. | Discuss the relationship between verbal sexual coercion and consent. A conceptual chart combining all the concepts and relationships discussed in this paper is provided. |
Potential Efficacy of an Affirmative Consent Standard | There has been a widespread adoption of an affirmative consent standard on college campuses, as this policy is considered to be an ideal response to CSA. However, affirmative consent policies have yet to be evaluated or critically considered as it pertains to reducing, preventing, and/or responding to CSA. | In light of the information presented in the previous sections, some implications of adopting affirmative consent standards will be discussed. |
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Pugh, B.; Becker, P. Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses. Behav. Sci. 2018, 8, 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8080069
Pugh B, Becker P. Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses. Behavioral Sciences. 2018; 8(8):69. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8080069
Chicago/Turabian StylePugh, Brandie, and Patricia Becker. 2018. "Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses" Behavioral Sciences 8, no. 8: 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8080069
APA StylePugh, B., & Becker, P. (2018). Exploring Definitions and Prevalence of Verbal Sexual Coercion and Its Relationship to Consent to Unwanted Sex: Implications for Affirmative Consent Standards on College Campuses. Behavioral Sciences, 8(8), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8080069