(PS12-C71) Examination of Sexual Intent and Consent in Technology-mediated Sexual Communication: Content, Context, and Initiation Matter

Data suggest that between 25% and 58% of college women have experienced sexual assault (Ray et al., 2018), leading most colleges and universities to include consent as central to sexual violence prevention efforts. Data suggest that affirmative consent bears little resemblance to how consent actually manifests in the context of many sexual interactions, which may contribute to the potential for sexual assault (Walsh et al., 2019). There exist stark gender differences with regard to consent communication and perception of consent (Jozkowski et al., 2014), as well as variability in consenting practices depending on the relationship context and sexual precedence (Willis & Jozkowski, 2019).

Consenting practices are further complicated by the increased use of digital media, and some data support the notion that college students may infer sexual intent and/or consent through technological mediums. Several studies have found that transmission of sexually explicit images (i.e. sexting) predicted sexual assault, highlighting sexting as an intersection between human interaction, consent, and technology (Dir et al., 2013; Dir et al., 2019).

No empirical research has yet examined how sexual intent and/or consent are differentially extrapolated from sexually suggestive texts and sexts by potential sexual partners, although this is critically important to prevention efforts. Further, this research examined whether the gender of the initiator of the suggestive text/sext affected perceived sexual intent and consent, and the degree to which sexual precedence impacted perceptions. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to one of four vignette stimuli, with additional manipulations designed to impact perceptions of sexual precedence between the hypothetical targets. Participants (N = 1,483; Mage = 19.04) were recruited from two midsized midwestern universities and 75% identified as female, 86.1% identified as heterosexual, and 87.1% identified as White/Caucasian.

The results of this research suggest that participants were more likely to perceive each hypothetical target (male and female) as providing consent when either target initiated contact with a sext compared to a text, t(1,412.72)=-14.95,p< .001, and participant’s perceptions of consent were significantly increased when told that the interaction had been preceded by a sexual encounter, t(1,476)=-20.90, p< .001. Additionally, participants exhibited a greater likelihood of perceiving both male, t(1,255.82)=-21.17, p< .001, and female, t(1,303.20)=-26.41, p< .001, targets as having sexual intentions when sexts (compared to texts) were sent by either gender, and perceptions of intent for both male, t(1,477)=-28.44, p< .001, and female, t(1,477)=-32.83, p< .001, targets were increased when participants were informed that the interaction has been preceded by a sexual encounter. Participant gender interactions were also explored.

This presentation will advocate for a contemporary and nuanced approach to sexual assault prevention that moves beyond affirmative consent and examines the role of technology in consenting practices. Implications for technology-facilitated coercion and clinical interventions will be discussed.