Special Issue on Sexual Consent

People perceive transitioning from a social to a private setting as an indicator of sexual consent

Kristen Jozkowski and I found that people perceive the going home with each other from a social setting as an indicator of sexual #consent.

Is consent sexy? Comparing evaluations of written erotica based on verbal sexual consent

Jennifer Piemonte and her team found that people in the US rated written erotica as similarly sexy disregarding whether the characters had used verbal or nonverbal cues to communicate their consent. 

Sexual consent of women in healthy relationships following a history of sexual trauma

Kristen Mark and Laura Vowels found that sexual consent is ever-evolving for women in healthy relationships post-sexual trauma and could be explicit or implicit. Finding sexual agency after experiencing sexual trauma can be complicated.  

Reprogramming consent: Implications of sexual relationships with artificially intelligent partners

Ellen Kaufman found that people who sexually interact with artificially intelligent sex robot technology may approach virtual consent negotiations as if they were a game. 

Complexities of sexual consent: Young people’s reasoning in a Swedish context

Charlotta Holmström and her team found that young people in Sweden understood many nuances regarding sexual consent but found it difficult to challenge sexual norms. For example, saying “no” to somebody isn't easy after going home with them.

Using vignette methodology to study comfort with consensual/nonconsensual depictions of pornography

Kate Dawson and her team used vignettes to distinguish between consensual and nonconsensual pornography. They found that young adults in Ireland who more strongly endorsed the need to establish sexual consent were less tolerant of nonconsensual depictions.  

South African women’s constructions of sexual consent

Kayla Beare and Floretta Boonzaier found that women in South Africa discussed sexual consent as willingness that is distinct from desire. And identifying as a sexual minority can empower some women to more readily refuse unwanted sexual advances from men.