Assessing models of concurrent substance use and sexual consent cues in mainstream films

Abstract

Objective

College students may not view sexual consent communication while under the influence of substances (i.e., alcohol and drugs) as problematic if media models the co-occurrence of these behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the types of consent cues used by characters who are and are not under the influence of substances in mainstream films. Method: Four researchers inductively analyzed popular mainstream films (N = 50). Films were assessed for substance use and consent communication cues. Results: Characters using substances were depicted using implicit verbal and explicit nonverbal consent cues more than characters who had not used substances. Conclusion: Films may perpetuate cultural narratives that substance use can be part of the consent process and that consent is communicated differently when people have used substances. Prevention programs could include media literacy to address misleading messages college students may internalize about substance use and sexual consent communication.

Keywords:

• Alcohol use
• content analysis
• drug use
• mainstream film
• sexual consent
• social cognitive theory

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States.

Notes

1 To select our 50 films, college students (n = 120) were provided with a list of all PG-13 or higher films of 2013. Students were asked to indicate if they had seen each film. We then cross-referenced what films student reported seeing (i.e. the films with the highest record of students viewing) with the top grossing films of 2013. This resulted in a list of 50 films across a variety of genres (e.g., drama, comedy, thriller).

2 Due to an oversight, one film was included in the sample with a rating of PG but was removed from statistical analyses.

3 For more information on how scenes were perceived as consensual or nonconsensual, see Jozkowski et al., ^10,16

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.