Sexts and Gender: Social and Sexual Experiences in Social Media and Online Environments
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Proposal
The purpose of my research is to explore the experience of ‘sexual compliance’ in an online environment. The term ‘sexual compliance’ refers to situations where we don’t want to engage in a sexual activity but we consent to do so anyway. Researchers know quite a bit about this phenomenon in in-person sexual activity but there is no research yet looking at how frequently people agree to engage in online sexual behaviour like sexting when they don’t want to. My study explores this important topic. I am also interested in whether different beliefs about women and men might influence whether people are more or less likely to agree to unwanted sexting. The research to date suggests that females are more likely to send images or written messages, while males are more likely to receive them. Moreover, most studies have found that females are more likely to engage in unwanted but consensual physical sexual activity. Conversely, there are some studies which have demonstrated that men are just as likely to participate in sexual compliance; in contrast to women’s experiences of compliance, researchers have found that men initiate most of the compliant sex they experience. The findings above can be explained by a gendered double standard—men feel pressure to always desire and initiate sexual activities no matter their own feelings at the time, and women feel pressure not to desire sex but to overrule their own desires to be responsive to men’s needs. As studies have demonstrated that prevalence rates are fairly high for participating in unwanted sexual activity and sexting by both genders, it is probable that these compliant sexual behaviours have extended to the technological world. Thus, by means of differing measures concerning gender, compliance, and sexting, using male and female participants ages 17-24, I will be exploring this topic.
Location
University of Windsor
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Special Considerations
I am still collecting data for my project, and I am very excited to share what I find with the rest of my peers and conference attendees. This is a very new and upcoming area of research, and I feel it will be beneficial for many people to hear what I find.
Sexts and Gender: Social and Sexual Experiences in Social Media and Online Environments
University of Windsor
The purpose of my research is to explore the experience of ‘sexual compliance’ in an online environment. The term ‘sexual compliance’ refers to situations where we don’t want to engage in a sexual activity but we consent to do so anyway. Researchers know quite a bit about this phenomenon in in-person sexual activity but there is no research yet looking at how frequently people agree to engage in online sexual behaviour like sexting when they don’t want to. My study explores this important topic. I am also interested in whether different beliefs about women and men might influence whether people are more or less likely to agree to unwanted sexting. The research to date suggests that females are more likely to send images or written messages, while males are more likely to receive them. Moreover, most studies have found that females are more likely to engage in unwanted but consensual physical sexual activity. Conversely, there are some studies which have demonstrated that men are just as likely to participate in sexual compliance; in contrast to women’s experiences of compliance, researchers have found that men initiate most of the compliant sex they experience. The findings above can be explained by a gendered double standard—men feel pressure to always desire and initiate sexual activities no matter their own feelings at the time, and women feel pressure not to desire sex but to overrule their own desires to be responsive to men’s needs. As studies have demonstrated that prevalence rates are fairly high for participating in unwanted sexual activity and sexting by both genders, it is probable that these compliant sexual behaviours have extended to the technological world. Thus, by means of differing measures concerning gender, compliance, and sexting, using male and female participants ages 17-24, I will be exploring this topic.