Gender and sexual minority status as predictors of sexual consent attitudes among cisgender young adults

ABSTRACT

Sexual consent campaigns aimed at reducing risk of sexual violence have historically been informed by research focusing almost exclusively on heterosexual young adults despite concerning rates of sexual violence committed against sexual minorities. Unfortunately, very little research has quantitatively compared how sexual consent attitudes may differ between men and women of different sexual identities. The current study attempts to help address this gap in the literature by examining how gender, sexual minority status, and the interaction of these variables contribute to sexual consent attitudes using a sample of 310 young adult cisgender participants. Sexual minority status was associated with greater perceived behavioural control over the consent process and identifying as a man predicted less awareness of consent. Gender differences in the endorsement of positive attitudes towards consent were more pronounced among heterosexual as compared to sexual minority participants. Finally, although men reported more assumptions about sexual consent than women in both sexual identity groups, the magnitude of the difference across gender was greater in the heterosexual group. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to help improve sexual assault prevention campaign efforts.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual consent
• gender
• sexual minority
• LGBT
• sexual identity

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author, JLM. This data is not publicly available due to the private nature of the information provided by research participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Notes

1. It is important to note, however, that there are people who engage in same-gender sexual behaviour who do not identify as LGBTQ+ or as a sexual minority.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John L. McKenna

John L. McKenna, Ph.D. is the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at the Gender Multispecialty Service (GeMS) and the Center for Gender Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Suffolk University. His research interests include sexual consent, sexual assertiveness, and gender identity development.

Lizabeth Roemer

Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Roemer and Dr. Orsillo have together developed an acceptance-based behaviour therapy (ABBT) for generalised anxiety and related disorders that incorporates mindfulness-based strategies, studied this intervention in many forms and published therapist and client-focused books on this approach.

Susan M. Orsillo

Susan M. Orsillo, Ph.D. is the Senior Director of Psychology Education and Training at the American Psychological Association. In addition to studying ABBT for anxiety and related disorders, she conducts research aimed at improving student mental health and promoting equity in higher education.