Shall We Establish Sexual Consent or Would You Feel Weird? Sexual Objectification and Rape-Supportive Attitudes as Predictors of How Sex is Negotiated in Men and Women

Abstract

How sex is negotiated has reached greater interest because a lack of consent is considered to be a risk factor for sexual violence. However, the mechanisms underlying sexual consent still remain unexplored. The purpose of the present study was to examine the link between rape-supportive attitudes and objectification, as experienced by women and perpetrated by men, in the context of specific domains relevant to the establishment and negotiation of sexual consent, i.e., attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. The sample comprised 1682 participants (21.5% male, 78.5% female) aged 18–66 years (M = 23.41; SD = 6.96). In women, negotiation of consent was predicted both directly and indirectly by being sexually objectified by men, rape attitudes playing a mediating role. Women who were objectified reported lower efficacy with respect to asking for consent and considered explicit establishment of consent as important. In men, only the perpetration of unwanted sexual advances predicted how they negotiate consent, in which rape attitudes played a mediating role (indicating a maladaptive pattern of negotiation). Our findings could be useful for the design and implementation of intervention programs that address both victims and perpetrators of violence.