Identifying the Impact of Sexual Scripts on Consent Negotiations

Abstract

In light of research that shows the importance of effective sexual communication for healthier sexual relationships, less unwanted sexual activity, and less sexual violence, this article explores how both dominant and alternative sexual scripts influence sexual communication. Drawing on 51 in-depth interviews with adults in heterosexual, queer, non-monogamous, and kink sex communities about their actual communication and consent practices in sexual interactions, we asked 1) In what ways do dominant sexual scripts affect communication and consent in sexual interactions? 2) What factors encourage people to diverge from these dominant scripts? and 3) How do alternative scripts produce new forms of communication and consent? We found that traditional scripts remain common, especially among those with less sexual experience, and that adherence to these scripts is more likely to correspond to coercive or unwanted sex. Conversely, exposure to alternative sexual scripts via sexual experience, education, or communities often encourages sexual agency and communication. We conclude by discussing the implications of these insights about communicative consent negotiations for sexual violence prevention.