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The Nature of Women's Rape Fantasies: An Analysis of Prevalence, Frequency, and Contents
The Journal of Sex Research
Abstract
This study evaluated the rape fantasies of female undergraduates (N = 355) using a fantasy checklist that reflected the legal definition of rape and a sexual fantasy log that included systematic prompts and self-ratings. Results indicated that 62% of women have had a rape fantasy, which is somewhat higher than previous estimates. For women who have had rape fantasies, the median frequency of these fantasies was about 4 times per year, with 14% of participants reporting that they had rape fantasies at least once a week. In contrast to previous research, which suggested that rape fantasies were either entirely aversive or entirely erotic, rape fantasies were found to exist on an erotic-aversive continuum, with 9% completely aversive, 45% completely erotic, and 46% both erotic and aversive.
... Much of the legal and forensic work on sexual fantasy is premised on (or at least considers) the idea that a fantasy is something you want to have happen [23,24]. Considering the frequency with which women report fantasies of experiencing sexual coercion (~60%, based on Bivona and Critelli's work, although other studies are in a similar range), it is clear that this represents a significant and potentially dangerous misinterpretation and oversimplification of the nature of fantasy [25,26]. As Wu et al. note, fantasy is not in the real world [27]. ...
... For example, a study that uses momentary ecological assessment to determine how often participants think about sex is likely to raise thoughts about whether it is acceptable for women to be sexual creatures at all [20]. A study that explores fantasies of sexual submission or dominance is likely to raise both those thoughts and questions of whether such fantasies are acceptable, because in order to answer the question "have you fantasized about sexual power exchange," one must conceptualize what is involved in power exchange, either through an in-the-moment act of fantasy or through memory of power exchange, whether consensual or traumatic [25,39]. The nature of this gender difference has been explored using deceptive techniques that lead subjects to believe that a lie can be detected, and in the presence of such manipulation, gender differences are significantly eroded. ...
... There is insufficient information or confidence to identify sexual fantasies that are infrequent enough to be considered statistically deviant, despite relatively frequent attempts to do just that [4,24,55,[59][60][61]. Similarly, the notion that some fantasies are inherently problematic or reflective of an underlying psychopathology or tendency toward self-destruction or violent behavior is not supported with consistent and reliable evidence [25,26,30,62,63]. ...
Purpose of Review
Sexual fantasy has been the subject of scientific scrutiny for nearly a century. This review outlines how, despite that scrutiny, methodological and definitional limitations make it difficult to speak with authority to the clinical, relational, and behavioral implications of sexual fantasy.
Recent Findings
Estimates of the frequency and content of sexual fantasy for women are limited by volunteer and social desirability biases and thus difficult to interpret. For the same reasons, the role that fantasy plays in individual and partnered sexual satisfaction and function is challenging to assess. The most reliable and recent evidence suggests that the effects of sexual fantasy on satisfaction and function are, overall, neutral to positive.
Summary
Given the complexity and limitations in research investigating sexual fantasy in women, we conclude with a call for new approaches in this field and humility in interpreting the existing evidence.
... Rape fantasies are not uncommon (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Grubb & Tarn, 2012;Joyal, Cossette, & Lapierre, 2015). Joyal, Cossette, and Lapierre (2015) found within their sample, 28.9% of female participants and 30.7% of male participants, reported having fantasized about being forced to have sex. ...
... The dearth of research examining the role and influence female rape fantasies have in the life of the fantasizer, as well as their couple relationship is further evidence of the stigmatization of this form of sexual expression (Critelli & Bivona, 2008). Examining the intricacies and impact of having a rape fantasy on a woman's own psychopathology and romantic relationship illuminates broad ramifications to individuals and couples who experience these fantasies (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Kanin, 1982). ...
... As rape carries deeply held meanings, which are interwoven throughout an individual's psychology, culture, religion, and social norms, experiencing a rape fantasy may have significant psychopathological and clinical implications for the fantasizer and their sexual or romantic partner (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Kanin, 1982). Having a theoretical approach in their repertoire will ultimately help clinicians address the interpersonal, relational, and societal influences and associated negative effects of rape fantasy experienced by individuals and couples. ...
The existing body of literature discussing the frequency and impact of sexual fantasy is robust. However, an application to couple and sex therapy is presently absent. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to review the existing literature on rape fantasies particularly female rape fantasy, provide a rationale for additional research, and provide a theoretical framework for clinical application. Adding to and expanding existing research will ultimately help clinicians conceptualize treatment for presenting problems surrounding female rape fantasies. Clinicians will benefit from having a treatment protocol grounded in an empirically-based theoretical framework with which to conceptualize clinical practice with women whose presenting problems are attributed to rape fantasy distress.
... Using a checklist, the theme of being overpowered was the second most frequently reported fantasy. Bivona and Critelli (2009) more recently explored the nature of women's rape fantasies in a group of 355 female undergraduates. They found that 62% of the women had experienced a rape fantasy in their lifetime and 14% of the women reported experiencing this fantasy on a regular basis. ...
... It should be noted that it is unlikely that women's rape fantasies indicate a desire to experience rape or necessarily reflect past experiences of unwanted sexual activity. In Bivona and Critelli's (2009) study, the women were asked to rate the content of their rape fantasies as aversive, erotic-aversive, or erotic. Only 9% of the fantasies were rated as aversive, involving complete non-consent. ...
... In the latter two categories, the consent shifted from unwillingness to willingness during the fantasy. Thus, it seems that women want to view themselves as sexually desirable, not as sexually vulnerable in these fantasies; they fantasize that they are so sexually appealing that they are irresistible to men and force is required to persuade them into submission (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Bond & Mosher, 1986). With regard to fantasies of dominance, men more often than women report fantasies in which they force a partner into sexual activity (Miller & Simon, 1980;Sue, 1979). ...
Recent research has revealed that many aspects of female sexuality change across the menstrual cycle. In this study, we examined changes in sexual fantasies and visual sexual interests across the menstrual cycle. A total of 27 single, heterosexual women (M age=21.5 years) not using hormonal contraceptives answered questions on a web-based diary every day for 30 days about their sexual fantasies and behaviors. Twenty-two of them also completed a viewing time task during three different menstrual cycle phases (follicular, ovulation, and luteal) to assess changes in visual sexual interest. Ovulation status was determined by a self-administered urine test. Results showed that the frequency and arousability of sexual fantasies increased significantly at ovulation. The number of males in the fantasies increased during the most fertile period, with no such change for the number of females. Fantasy content became more female-like during ovulation, focusing more on emotions rather than explicit sexual content. Women displayed a category non-specific pattern of viewing time with regard to target age and gender, regardless of fertility status. Results were discussed in the context of the ovulatory shift hypothesis of female sexuality.
... Some individuals with a paraphilic interest might not act on it for various reasons, including a lack of interest in the behavior, personal inhibitions, concerns about social norms, or lack of opportunity (Seto, 2019). For example, some women report sexual fantasies about being raped but would never wish to have any such experience (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). Some men have sexual fantasies about children but think sex with children is wrong and have no intentions of ever engaging in this behavior (see Seto, 2019). ...
... In this study, we asked participants to rate their sexual interest in terms of how arousing a theme was to them, ranging from very repulsive to very arousing. A problem with our operationalization is that someone could find a theme highly sexually arousing yet not be interested in the behavior, as in the case of women who report sexual fantasies about rape with no wish to experience rape (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). Another problem is that someone could simultaneously find a theme both very repulsive as well as very arousing. ...
We examined the concordance of paraphilic interests and behaviors across 13 themes in an online sample of 1,036 men and women. Paraphilic interests were significantly and positively correlated with behaviors across all 13 themes. Associations were strongest for masochism and sadism, and weakest for pedohebephilia and frotteurism. Paraphilic interest and behavior were significantly and positively correlated after accounting for gender and sexual orientation. Moderated moderation analysis was significant for five themes. Gender was a moderator for eroticized gender, but only among heterosexual participants, where concordance was higher for heterosexual men than for heterosexual women. For both exhibitionism and frotteurism, gender was a significant moderator, but only for nonheterosexual participants, where concordance was stronger for nonheterosexual men than for nonheterosexual women. For pedohebephilia, interest was significantly associated with behavior for heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and nonheterosexual men, but not for nonheterosexual women. For zoophilia, there was a significant association between interest and behavior for heterosexual men, nonheterosexual men, and nonheterosexual women, but not heterosexual women. Additional analyses found sex drive moderated the positive associations of 7 of 13 paraphilic themes, with 5 of these 7 showing the expected effect of higher concordance of interests and behaviors at higher levels of sex drive.
... The term rape fantasy has been defined in many different ways. Bivona and Critelli (2009) identified the legal definition of rape and its application in the context of fantasy. The legal definition of rape involves force, coercion, incapacitation, and sex against one's willcomponents that can also be included in rape fantasy (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). ...
... Bivona and Critelli (2009) identified the legal definition of rape and its application in the context of fantasy. The legal definition of rape involves force, coercion, incapacitation, and sex against one's willcomponents that can also be included in rape fantasy (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). Kanin (1982) and Lee (2008) note that rape fantasy is very distant from actual rape in that components of fear, autonomy, and consent are within the fantasizer's controla notion upheld in other empirical studies (Gold et al., 1991;Gold & Clegg, 1990). ...
Recent decades have given rise to a preponderance of studies centered on fantasies involving forced sexual experiences. While the genesis, meaning, and plot of these fantasies vary greatly, it is clear that sexual trauma survivors often experience such force fantasies. Some individuals who have experienced sexual trauma may engage in certain practices, termed shadowplay within the BDSM and Kink communities, to work through their trauma. Shadowplay may involve re-enacting sexually traumatic events with the purpose of regaining control over oneself, one’s memories, or one’s experience of trauma. Therapists and clinicians must become aware of shadowplay and its many manifestations in order to better support their clients throughout the treatment process. This article describes the various manifestations of shadowplay and provides guidelines for appropriate clinical support of such behaviors.
... The Consensual dominance/submission scenes and fetishized uniforms echo factor analyses of college/community samples' fantasies [1], while the omission of the other person's emotions in the No States type and their lack of desire in the Non-consensual type reflects a psychodynamic study of young SO men's masturbatory fantasies, showing that thoughts/emotions were rarely attributed to the other person, but where given, most commonly entailed unwanted sexual contact [54]. The Mixed states, often with the woman's lack of desire giving way to desire/enjoyment, reflects women's sexual fantasies of coercion [55] and may again be exemplified in SEXUAL THOUGHTS OF CHILDREN OR COERCION 24 popular culture (e.g. early James Bond films). ...
... Sexual thoughts with coercive themes were generally not related to sexual offending. Women with sexual fantasies of being coerced do not wish to be a victim of rape [55] and the vast majority of men with sexual thoughts of coercing others will not wish to be a perpetrator. ...
Introduction:
There is limited evaluation of clinical and theoretical claims that sexual thoughts of children and coercing others facilitate sexual offending. The nature of these thoughts (what they contain) also is unknown.
Aim:
To examine the relation between child or coercive sexual thoughts and sexual offending and to determine the nature of these thoughts and any differences among sexual offending (SO), non-sexual offending (NSO), and non-offending (NO) men.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional computerized survey, anonymous qualitative and quantitative self-reported sexual thought and experience data were collected from 279 adult volunteers composing equal numbers of SO, NSO, and NO men recruited from a medium-security UK prison and a community sample of 6,081 men.
Main outcome measures:
Computerized Interview for Sexual Thoughts and Computerized Inventory of Sexual Experiences.
Results:
Three analytical approaches found child sexual thoughts were related to sexual offending; sexual thoughts with coercive themes were not. Latent class analyses identified three types of child sexual thought (primarily differentiated by interpersonal context: the reporting of own emotions, emotions of others, or both) and four types of sexual thoughts of coercing others (chiefly discriminated by the other person's response: no emotional states reported, consent, non-consent, or mixed). Type of child sexual thought and participant group were not significantly related. Type of coercive sexual thought and group were marginally related; the consensual type was more common for the NO group and the non-consensual type was more common for the SO group than expected statistically.
Conclusion:
Child sexual thoughts are a risk factor for sexual offending and should be assessed by clinicians. In general, sexual thoughts with coercive themes are not a risk factor, although thought type could be important (ie, thoughts in which the other person expresses an enduring lack of consent). Exploring the dynamic risk factors associated with each type of child and coercive thought could lead to more targeted treatment.
... Research has shown that while men are more likely than women to have sexual fantasies containing themes of dominance and behavioral initiation, relative to themes of submission and reception (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Knafo & Jaffe, 1984;Zurbriggen & Yost, 2004), some of the common themes across genders are similar (Jones & Barlow, 1990). In contrast, more notable is the difference in frequency, in that men tend to have more frequent sexual fantasies (Baumeister et al., 2001;Ellis & Symons, 1990), and are overrepresented at the extreme ends of sexual fantasy content distribution (i.e., it is not uncommon for a man to have imagined over a thousand sexual partners; Ellis & Symons, 1990). ...
... The subjective experience of guilt subsequent to sexual arousal and sexual behavior can occur with considerable intensity, and correlates negatively with the frequency of sexual fantasy (Cado & Leitenberg, 1990), and positively with sexual dissatisfaction and sexual dysfunction (Cado, 1999). In contrast, research concerning sexual fantasies of force (i.e., "rape" fantasies) in women have found that not only are such fantasies quite common (Bivona & Critelli, 2009), but also evidence that such fantasies may correlate with a positive view toward sexuality and self-esteem (Bivona, 2012). This line of research would appear to suggest that emotional correlates of sexual fantasy and arousal are potential drivers of such constructs, and that these constructs also correlate with sexual well-being. ...
Objectives: Cross-cultural research was conducted to elucidate the relative influences of culture and gender on human sexuality. Methods: 353 male and female undergraduate university students from the United States and Macau completed self-report measures assessing sexual fantasy and arousal. Results: Males as a group, relative to females, reported significantly more frequent sexual fantasy/arousal. Additionally there were significant differences among all groups concerning reported age of initial sexual arousal, with males from the United States reporting the earliest age of initial arousal, followed by males from Macau, females from the United States, and females from Macau. Males from each region reported a significantly younger age of initial sexual fantasy compared to their female counterparts within the same region Individuals from Macau, as a group, reported significantly less frequent sexual arousal. Conclusions: Sexual fantasy and arousal are susceptible to cultural and gender-based influences, whose strength varies by outcome measure.
... One of the most widely recognised rape myths is the idea that " all women secretly desire to be raped " . Recent research has demonstrated that although this statement is far from accurate, some individuals do fantasise about coercive sex and/or rape (Critelli & Bivona, 2008; Bivona & Critelli, 2009). The relationship between rape myth acceptance (RMA) and rape fantasy (RF) is one which has yet to be empirically or academically explored. ...
... This questionnaire was devised by the researchers by utilising, adapting and adding to some of the items used by Bivona and Critelli (2009) in their work. The scale consisted of 33 items which assessed the existence, frequency and content of General Rape Fantasies (GRF), Aversive Rape Fantasies (ARF), and Erotic Rape Fantasies (ERF). ...
This paper explores the existence of rape fantasies within a sample of female university students and investigates whether there is a relationship between rape fantasies and the way individuals make attributions about the victims of rape. Participants completed a questionnaire which included measures of erotic and aversive rape fantasies, rape myth acceptance, rape victim empathy and specific attributions about a victim of rape presented in a vignette. The findings indicate that rape fantasies are more common than previously thought, with 53.4% of participants reporting having experienced some form of sexually coercive fantasy at least once a year. The findings also indicate that there is positive correlational relationship between general rape fantasies and the way individuals make attributions about individual rape victims, with people who experience rape fantasies allocating a greater amount of blame to the victim in a specific rape scenario. Potential reasons and implications for these findings are discussed.
... Women secretly desire to be raped People who believe in this myth claim that women often have rape fantasies. However, rape fantasies are not proof that a woman wants to be raped, all the more so because they are often not adequate depictions of rape (see, e.g., Bivona & Critelli, 2009). ...
This course is the result of collaboration between the University of Warsaw, Charles University in Prague, Heidelberg University, the University of Copenhagen, and the University of Milan. It aims to provide students with basic knowledge concerning gender-based violence from legal, medical, psychological, and cultural points of view. We have decided to present it in an online format due to the cost-effectiveness of this form as well as the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic during which we prepared the course. However, the materials we provide can also be used during offline courses. Due to the unfavorable connotations of the word "victim" (see Module 10 for details), we use mostly the word "survivor" when describing persons who have experienced gender-based violence. However, there are some exceptions, such as when the word is part of the expression "victim blaming," which is established in the literature, and when we cite legal acts that contain the word "victim", for example the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (2011), known as the Istanbul Convention. Most of the course content focuses on women since they are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence. However, we also discuss the topic of violence against men (Module 14) and LGBT+ people (Module 15).
... Likewise, in discussing sexualized violence and arousal, incels weaponize studies on women's experience with orgasms during acts of sexualized violence. While studies do suggest that people can experience arousal and orgasm during nonconsensual sex (Bivona & Critelli, 2009), such studies also emphasize that both arousal and orgasms are involuntary (Levin & van Berlo, 2004). Incels omit this latter point, and instead use such studies to perpetuate the rape myth that women are "asking" for sexualized violence and that arousal and orgasm are proof of consent and enjoyment. ...
This study examines how involuntarily celibate (“incels”) men justify gender-based and sexualized violence against women. Based on an analysis of 22,060 discussion board comments, we argue that: (1) incel justifications of sexualized violence are tied to their perception of gender relations, (2) incels justify sexual assault as a form of revenge for their incel status, and (3) incels misuse science to argue that women enjoy sexual assault. Adapting the concept of “stochastic terrorism,” we argue that incels and similar communities produce stochastic gender-based violence, wherein communities justify and encourage acts of violence. Findings are discussed in relation to gender-based violence, rape culture, masculinities theory, and policy.
... Be that as it may, it is interesting to observe that the outcomes of our study tend to align with those obtained in other research conducted with general-population samples. For instance, the sexual preferences of women in our sample towards coercive sexuality and/or BDSM-like practices (such as being dominated, tied up, or forced into sex, or engaging in spanking or whipping activities) resonate with findings from studies by Bivona and Critelli (2009), Critelli and Bivona (2008), Joyal et al. (2015), and Joyal and Carpentier (2022) in general-population samples. Furthermore, even though fantasy, desire, and behavior are distinct elements, they often converge, as explained by Lehmiller and Gormezano (2023). ...
... Finally, findings of a study examining the role of childhood trauma in kinky sexual behavior among adults indicated that trauma did not significantly predict either dominance or submissive sexual behaviors within a sample of those who engaged in BDSM, suggesting that trauma may not be a prevalent precipitating factor in BDSM interest (De Neef, Coppens, Huys, & Morrens, 2019;Hillier, 2019;Powls & Davies, 2012). It is worth noting that even among the general population, more than 50% of women report having rape fantasies, and such fantasies do not reflect a willingness to be violated in real life, nor are they considered pathological (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). ...
... Furthermore, in women, the prevalence of sexual fantasies about rape themes is purported to range between 31-67% (Critelli & Bivona, 2008;Joyal et al., 2015). It should be noted that 'rape fantasies' are not associated with being a vulnerable sexual object but rather with being an attractive woman who wants to be coerced into having sex (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). ...
So far, only a limited number of representative studies have been conducted on exposure to sexually explicit media in women. Existing research tends to focus on men, who form the majority of users of sexually explicit materials. This research aimed at the identification of categories of sexually explicit videos sought by adult women in the Czech and Slovak Republics and the examination of variables associated with overall frequency of use of sexually explicit media. A stratified sample of Czech (N=400) and Slovak (N=413) women who confirmed the use of sexually explicit materials and were aged between 18–76 completed an online questionnaire through online panels of respondents. Participants reported the overall frequency of sexually explicit materials sought and its related measures. Using linear regression, authors tested associations between the frequency of sexually explicit videos sought and sociodemographic data, variables related to sexual behaviour, and lifetime experience with sexually explicit videos. Results showed a high prevalence of seeking sexually explicit videos that depict normative heterosexual and female homosexual activities. No significant differences were found between the Czech and Slovak samples in searching for particular sexually explicit content. Authors found that younger age, higher frequency of masturbation, and higher sociosexual attitude score (measured by SOI-R) predict a higher frequency of searches for sexually explicit videos in both samples. This is the first empirical investigation of sexually explicit video content sought by women in the Czech and Slovak Republics. The findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of sexually explicit materials use in women in both countries (Czech Republic = 60.4% vs. Slovak Republic = 62%), but further investigation is necessary to assess the impact of sexually explicit materials exposure on women.
... Contrary to antis' beliefs about fictional content, what people find enjoyable in fictional depictions of relationships does not directly correlate to what they want in real life (van Monsjou and Mar 2019). For example, despite rape fantasies being a commonly explored trope in women's fiction, such exploration does not indicate a woman's wish to be sexually abused in real life (Bivona 2009). Different sections of the brain activate when thinking about real people and situations vs. fictional ones (Abraham et al. 2008), and in fiction there is always full control. ...
In recent years hostility amongst fans based on what a person ships or tolerates in shipping has become a growing point of contention in western fandom. This has resulted in an ‘anti-shipper’ (or ‘anti’) vs. ‘pro-shipper’ (or ‘pro-ship’), ‘Good versus Evil’ dichotomy that has slowly consumed fandom communities from the inside out. At the core of ‘anti’ debates is a foundation of beliefs rooted in conservatism that what a person consumes in fiction determines their real-life behaviours. Thus, an anti-shipper who is against those viewed to be pro-shippers is already deemed more morally pure. This has culminated in the escalation of toxic vigilantism that has driven harassment, violence-based threats and the criminalization of fellow fans. This piece deconstructs this anti phenomenon and the dominant behaviours that accompany it by evaluating the traditionally conservative environments in which these ideas originated, and by exploring how antis employ hate narratives, conditioned language and morally motivated networked harassment to justify dehumanizing and abusing other fans. This examination ultimately concludes that no kind of communal fandom restoration can begin to occur until those targeted by such anti-shippers are viewed as human beings (not sub-human) and a universal understanding of fiction, reality, psychology and human behaviour based in science is established.
... Masochism, which is found more frequently in women than in men (e.g. Baur et al. 2016), is an interesting exception to this phenomenon that has not been explained by previous considerations, Female paraphilias such as masochism and possibly other as yet unexplored and under-recognised paraphilias such as cuckoldry (Quinsey, 2012), rape fantasies (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Moser, 2011) or a preference for male homosexual erotica (Madill & Zhao, 2021;Neville, 2018) could be interpreted as extreme manifestations of the female reproductive and sexual strategy. For masochism, this hypothesis has high apparent validity, as it is an extreme form of devotion to the point of pain. ...
Review of findings and theorizing on the sex difference in the interest in paraphilias through an evolutionary lens (original in German and AI-translated version in English)
... Besides assessing the contents of erotic fantasies, which is not the goal of the current paper, few measures have focused on sexual fantasies use and the attitudes towards them. Research usually relies on ad hoc items on the Likert scale that ask about fantasies frequency, arousability, and related emotions [7,[27][28][29][30][31][32]. A valuable example is represented by the study of Ellis and Simons [1], who used an ad hoc questionnaire based on evolutionary theory to test some gender differences in the frequency, use, and attitudes towards erotic fantasies. ...
Background:
The investigation of sexual fantasies is a delicate issue within sex research. Most studies have focused on the content of these fantasies, rather than on use, experiences, attitudes, and sharing issues, which are fundamental aspects within sexual therapy. The main aim of the present study was to develop and validate the "Sexual Desire and Erotic Fantasies questionnaire-Part 2. Use of Erotic Fantasies (SDEF2)".
Methods:
The SDEF2 was completed by 1773 Italian participants (1105 women, 645 men, and 23 other genders).
Results:
The final 21-item version presented a five-factor structure (fantasies frequency, fantasies normality, fantasies importance, negative emotions, and sharing and experiencing). The SDEF2 showed good psychometric properties, internal reliability, construct, and discriminant validity, appearing to be able to differentiate between sexually clinical and functional women and men (based on the FSFI and IIEF cut-off scores).
Conclusions:
The possibility of assessing fantasies frequency, attitudes, and emotions may be extremely useful both for research and clinical purposes. The current study seems to validate that the SDEF2 is a useful measure of assessing the different aspects related to a fantasizing activity, which was shown to be associated with sexual functioning and satisfaction.
... Women reported more or as many fantasies of submission and masochism than or as men. 22,23 Up to now, however, only a small number of studies empirically tested sex differences in sexual fantasies using inference statistics. 21,24 Prevalence rates of sadistic fantasies and ASF in previous research also depended on item wordings and item numbers. ...
Background:
Aggression-related sexual fantasies (ASF) are considered an important risk factor for sexual aggression, but empirical knowledge is limited, in part because previous research has been based on predominantly male, North-American college samples, and limited numbers of questions.
Aim:
The present study aimed to foster the knowledge about the frequency and correlates of ASF, while including a large sample of women and a broad range of ASF.
Method:
A convenience sample of N = 664 participants from Germany including 508 (77%) women and 156 (23%) men with a median age of 25 (21-27) years answered an online questionnaire. Participants were mainly recruited via social networks (online and in person) and were mainly students. We examined the frequencies of (aggression-related) sexual fantasies and their expected factor structure (factors reflecting affective, experimental, masochistic, and aggression-related contents) via exploratory factor analysis. We investigated potential correlates (eg, psychopathic traits, attitudes towards sexual fantasies) as predictors of ASF using multiple regression analyses. Finally, we examined whether ASF would positively predict sexual aggression beyond other pertinent risk factors using multiple regression analysis.
Outcomes:
The participants rated the frequency of a broad set of 56 aggression-related and other sexual fantasies, attitudes towards sexual fantasies, the Big Five (ie, broad personality dimensions including neuroticism and extraversion), sexual aggression, and other risk factors for sexual aggression.
Results:
All participants reported non-aggression-related sexual fantasies and 77% reported at least one ASF in their lives. Being male, frequent sexual fantasies, psychopathic traits, and negative attitudes towards sexual fantasies predicted more frequent ASF. ASF were the strongest predictor of sexual aggression beyond other risk factors, including general aggression, psychopathic traits, rape myth acceptance, and violent pornography consumption.
Clinical translation:
ASF may be an important risk factor for sexual aggression and should be more strongly considered in prevention and intervention efforts.
Strengths and limitations:
The strengths of the present study include using a large item pool and a large sample with a large proportion of women in order to examine ASF as a predictor of sexual aggression beyond important control variables. Its weaknesses include the reliance on cross-sectional data, that preclude causal inferences, and not continuously distinguishing between consensual and non-consensual acts.
Conclusion:
ASF are a frequent phenomenon even in in the general population and among women and show strong associations with sexual aggression. Thus, they require more attention by research on sexual aggression and its prevention. Bondü R, Birke JB, Aggression-Related Sexual Fantasies: Prevalence Rates, Sex Differences, and Links With Personality, Attitudes, and Behavior. J Sex Med 2021;XX:XXX-XXX.
... It has been largely accepted that sexual fantasies are common experiences for most people (Knafo & Jaffe, 1984;Leitenberg & Henning, 1995), yet the way in which sexual fantasies develop is still up for debate. Whereas some theoreticians and researchers view sexual fantasies as a reflection of one's underlying desires (Ellis & Symons, 1990;Leitenberg & Henning, 1995), especially those desires that are socially unacceptable (Freud, 1962), others claim that sexual fantasies are actually based on themes that the individual would not wish to experience in real life (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Bivona et al., 2012). ...
Although the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and various aspects of sexual difficulties is well established, little is known about the association between CSA and adult sexual fantasies. The current rapid review searched for studies that reported on CSA and sexual fantasies through PubMed, PsycInfo, and Violence & Abuse Abstracts databases. Included in the review were empirical studies involving a population of adults who experienced CSA before the age of 18 and which reported on survivors’ sexual fantasies. The impact of CSA on adult sexual fantasies was found across three main dimensions: prevalence of sexual fantasies, content, and appraisal of the fantasies. Overall, 13 studies that addressed the sexual fantasies of survivors of CSA were identified. This review found an association between CSA and adult sexual fantasies, indicating that survivors of CSA are more likely to report: unrestricted sexual fantasies, more atypical sexual fantasies, more sexual fantasies that involve force, and more fantasies that include elements of sadomasochism, submissiveness, and dominance. Survivors of CSA also begin having sexual fantasies at a significantly earlier age and report their sexual fantasies as being significantly more intrusive than do nonabused subjects. When treating CSA survivors, therapists should acknowledge that a history of CSA can impact the survivors’ sexual fantasies. Further studies with adult survivors of CSA are needed to determine how these sexual fantasies develop subsequent to the abuse, how they are perceived by survivors, and what their effect is on survivors’ and their partners’ sexual health, function, and satisfaction.
... mutually desired and consensual simulation of rape) as an analogy. Many women and men have fantasies about being raped or raping others (Bivona and Critelli 2009;Critelli and Bivona, 2008). Suppose, then, that two consenting adults engage in rape play. ...
For the sake of this chapter, we will assume that sexbots of the future will be non-sentient and lack moral standing: they will be neither moral victims nor moral agents. That is, we will assume that sexbots are 'mere' machines that are reliably identifiable as such, despite their humanlike appearance and behaviour. Under these stipulations, sexbots themselves can no more be harmed, morally speaking, than your dishwasher. As we will explore, however, there may still be something wrong about the production, distribution, or use of such sexbots.
... Fantasies were the focus because they often, but not always, reflect people's sexual desires and are sometimes used as a way of planning future sexual encounters (Lehmiller, 2018). Fantasies do not always have a deeper meaning and, of course, many of us have fantasies that we do not wish to act on (e.g., Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Joyal, Cossette, & Lapierre, 2015); however, research suggests that sexual fantasies have the potential to provide important insight into people's future plans, goals, and ideals. ...
The present research explored fantasies about consensual nonmonogamous relationships (CNMRs) and the factors that predict such fantasies in a large and diverse online sample (N = 822) of persons currently involved in monogamous relationships. Nearly one-third (32.6%) of participants reported that being in some type of sexually open relationship was part of their favorite sexual fantasy of all time, of whom most (80.0%) said that they want to act on this fantasy in the future. Those who had shared and/or acted on CNMR fantasies previously generally reported positive outcomes (i.e., meeting or exceeding their expectations and improving their relationships). In addition, a majority of participants reported having fantasized about being in a CNMR at least once before, with open relationships being the most popular variety. Those who identified as male or non-binary reported more CNMR fantasies than those who identified as female. CNMR fantasies were also more common among persons who identified as anything other than heterosexual and among older adults. Erotophilia and sociosexual orientation were uniquely and positively associated with CNMR fantasies of all types; however, other individual difference factors (e.g., Big Five personality traits, attachment style) had less consistent associations. Unique predictors of infidelity fantasies differed from CNMR fantasies, suggesting that they are propelled by different psychological factors. Overall, these results suggest that CNMRs are a popular fantasy and desire among persons in monogamous romantic relationships. Clinical implications and implications for sexual fantasy research more broadly are discussed.
... Our results are thereby in line with previous findings regarding links of CSA to sexual masochism and masochistic rape fantasies (Briere et al., 1994;Frías et al., 2017;Horowitz, 1990;Nordling et al., 2000;Shulman & Home, 2006). Whereas masochistic rape fantasies are common and linked to openness to sexual experience and reduced sexual guilt in the general population (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Bivona, Critelli, & Clark, 2012;Strassberg & Lockerd, 1998), in survivors of CSA, unwanted rape fantasies involving pain, humiliation, or force often cause considerable distress (Westerlund, 1992). Second, our results in many ways replicate prior network analyses on PTSD, thereby answering critical claims regarding replicability and generalizability of network analyses (Borsboom, Robinaugh, Rhemtulla, & Cramer, 2018;Contreras, Nieto, Valiente, Espinosa, & Vazquez, 2019;Forbes, Wright, Markon, & Krueger, 2017;. ...
Background
Even though recent research indicates that sexual symptoms are highly prevalent in post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood sexual abuse and cause severe distress, current treatments neither address them nor are they effective in reducing them. This might be due to a lack of understanding of sexual symptoms' specific role in the often complex and comorbid psychopathology of post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood abuse.
Methods
Post-traumatic, dissociative, depressive, and sexual symptoms were assessed in 445 inpatients with post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood sexual abuse. Comorbidity structure was analyzed using a partial correlation network with regularization.
Results
A total of 360 patients (81%) reported difficulties engaging in sexual activities and 102 patients (23%) reported to suffer from their sexual preferences. Difficulties engaging in sexual activities were linked to depressive and hyperarousal symptoms, whereas sexual preferences causing distress were linked to anger and dissociation. Dissociative amnesia, visual intrusions, and physical reactions to trauma reminders were of central importance for the network. Dissociative amnesia, depressed mood, lack of energy, and difficulties engaging in sexual activities were identified as bridge symptoms. Local clustering analysis indicated the non-redundancy of sexual symptoms.
Conclusions
Sexual symptoms are highly prevalent in survivors of childhood sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder. Further research is needed regarding the link of difficulties engaging in sexual activities, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as regarding the association of dissociation and sexual preferences causing distress. Sexual symptoms require consideration in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood sexual abuse.
... In contrast, some people enjoy rape fantasies (Bivona, Critelli & Clark, 2012), but this may not reflect their desires for real life experiences or influence their behaviour; what an individual feels comfortable in watching may also not reflect their desired behaviours in their own relationships. For instance, one study showed 62% of young women have had sexual fantasies about rape (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). However, studies also show that most women do not want to act out a realistic rape fantasy (Bond & Mosher, 1986;Gold et al., 1991). ...
Spanking, whipping, and choking are examples of aggressive behaviours that can be performed in consensual sexual encounters. However, within the pornography research literature, such behaviours are often perceived as being nonconsensual, categorized as “violent,” and argued to predict sexual aggression. Viewing nonconsensual pornography may be associated with negative attitudes toward consent; however, viewing consensual pornography that features typically violent behavior may not. In this study, we sought to more clearly distinguish between consensual and nonconsensual pornography depictions by using vignettes to examine individuals’ consent attitudes in relation to these pornographic vignettes. We also sought to assess the hypothesis that more frequent pornography engagement will be associated with greater comfort with the nonconsensual vignettes. A series of pornography vignettes were developed by the researchers and categorized by a group of sexual consent experts as “consensual” or “nonconsensual” vignettes during a three-round Delphi study. The finalized vignettes were administered to a convenience sample of Irish university students (n = 1,121), who also answered questions regarding their attitudes toward consent and frequency of pornography engagement. More frequent pornography engagement was not associated with greater comfort with the nonconsensual vignettes. Greater comfort with the nonconsensual pornography vignettes was negatively associated with attitudes toward establishing consent and the endorsement of sexual consent norms.
... For example, though it seems probable that those convicted of sexual homicide are more likely to report engaging in aggressive sexual fantasies (e.g., Maniglio, 2010), there is at best mixed evidence that aggressive sexual fantasies are associated with an increased risk of engaging in violent sexual behavior. Rape fantasies, for instance, are relatively common among women and are thus often considered to fall within the realm of normal sexual experience (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). However, most women have no interest in acting out such a fantasy (Gold, Balzano, & Stamey, 1991). ...
A recurring problem with the study of sexual fantasy is that of social desirability bias. Study participants may report fantasies that are consistent with general societal expectations of fantasy content, as opposed to themes characterized by their actual fantasies. The wide availability of erotic material on the Internet, however, facilitates the study of sexual fantasy narratives as they are anonymously expressed and viewed online. By extracting approximately 250,000 text-based erotic fantasies from a user-generated website, we sought to examine “real-world” sexual fantasies, determine the themes that were typical of these narratives, and explore the relationship between themes and story popularity (as assessed by story views per day). A principal components analysis identified 20 themes that commonly occurred across the massive corpus, and a path analysis revealed that these themes played a significant role in predicting the popularity of the sexual fantasy narratives. In particular, the empirically identified themes reflecting familial words (e.g., mother, father) and colloquial sexual words (e.g., cock, fuck) were predictive of story popularity. Other themes identified included those not obviously erotic, such as those consisting of words reflecting domesticity (e.g., towel, shower) and colors (e.g., brown, blue). By analyzing a sexual fantasy corpus of unprecedented size, this study offers unique insight into both the content of sexual fantasies and the popularity of that content.
... Women who were not recruited for having preferences for this type of stimulus respond with genital arousal to films of women being forced to walk, kiss, and be hit by a man showing clear signs of sexual arousal and intent to assault the actress (Laan, Everaerd, & Evers, 1995;Peterson & Janssen, 2007). Of course, genital arousal is not an indication that a woman desires actual sexual assault (Chivers & Bailey, 2005), but 62% of women in one convenience sample reported having pleasurable rape fantasies (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). A substantial minority (9-17%) of women report that rape is a favorite sexual fantasy (Critelli & Bivona, 2008). ...
... Alternatively, it is also possible that some adjectives in the negative/aversive dimension (e.g., restrained, anxious, resistant, or insensible) better reflects their preferred BDSM sexual experience (Toledano & Pfaus, 2006), but do not necessarily imply aversion for BDSM practitioners. It may be that aspects of aversion or inhibition become arousing and the motivation to pursue BDSM practices for some of its practitioners (Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Critelli & Bivona, 2008;Joyal et al., 2014). There may be some arousing aspects to engaging in sexual practices perceived as less socially acceptable, prohibited, or stigmatized. ...
Sexual arousal, desire, and orgasm are experienced differently across gender, sexual orientation, and context. The variety of sexual practices performed by the BDSM (bondage, domination/submission, discipline, and sadomasochism) community enables researchers to better understand the human subjective sexual response across a wider range of erotic contexts. The present study investigates the subjective experience of sexual arousal, desire, and orgasm across contexts and their associations with sexual sensation seeking in BDSM practitioners. A total of 122 participants were recruited and completed an online questionnaire. Findings suggest that BDSM practitioners experience sexual arousal, desire, and orgasm differently based on whether they engage in solitary masturbation, partnered intercourse, or BDSM practices. This experience is also related to their level of sexual sensation seeking. This investigation represents a key initiative in understanding the complexity of human sexual responses across multiple contexts and within diverse populations.
... Bivona in Critelli pišeta, da je na populaciji študentk odstotek tistih, ki fantazirajo o posilstvu, visok, saj znaša kar 62%. Ta odstotek je znatno višji od prejšnjih ocen o pojavljanju tovrstnih fantazij (Critelli in Bivona, 2009). Očitno je, da na tem področju na veliko vprašanj še vedno nimamo odgovorov, zato bi bilo za razumevanje odnosa med fantazijami in navezanostjo potrebno razširiti raziskovanje. ...
POVZETEK
S tveganim spolnim vedenjem se posameznik izpostavlja možnostim, da bo utrpel posledice takšnega vedenja. Tovrstne posledice lahko segajo na različna področja življenja in se nanašajo na fizični, zdravstveni, legalni ali socialni nivo življenja. Da bi razumeli pojavnost tveganega spolnega vedenja, je potrebno raziskovanje družbenih in individualnih dejavnikov, ki utegnejo doprinesti k pojavnosti le-tega. Eden izmed teh dejavnikov je tudi kakovost navezanosti. Rezultati raziskav kažejo, da med kakovostjo navezanosti in nekaterimi oblikami spolnega vedenja obstajajo statistično pomembne povezave. Namen raziskave je bil preveriti povezanost med spremenljivkama navezanosti in tveganega spolnega vedenja v mlajši odraslosti. V raziskavo je bil vključen neklinični slučajni vzorec 181 študentov mariborskih fakultet, od tega 77,3% žensk in 22,7% moških. Udeleženci so izpolnili vprašalnik, ki je bil sestavljen iz zanesljivih in veljavnih merskih pripomočkov, ki sprašujejo po tveganem spolnem vedenju (SRS), po doživljanju odnosov z bližnjimi (ECR-R), po iskanju spolnih senzacij (SSSS) in še po nekaterih drugih oblikah vedenj, povezanih s spolnostjo. Predpostavljene hipoteze so bile deloma potrjene. Statistična analiza je pokazala, da med dimenzijama navezanosti in nekaterimi tveganimi oblikami spolnega vedenja obstajajo blage, a statistično pomembne pozitivne povezave. Med dimenzijo izogibanja in tveganim spolnim vedenjem so v večini primerov obstajale močnejše in statistično pomembnejše pozitivne povezave, kakor med dimenzijo anksioznosti in tveganim spolnim vedenjem. Za zaključevanje o odnosu med dimenzijama navezanosti in tveganim spolnim vedenjem je potrebno nadaljnje raziskovanje. Ključne besede Navezanost, dimenzije navezanosti, tvegano spolno vedenje, iskanje spolnih senzacij.
ABSTRACT
Risky sexual behaviour increases the possibility that one will suffer the consequences of such behaviour. The consequences can affect different areas of an individual's life and relate to the physical, medical, legal or social aspects of life. In order to understand the incidence of this behaviour, it is necessary to explore social and individual factors that may contribute to its occurrence. One of these factors is the quality of attachment. The results of past studies show that the quality of attachment and some forms of sexual behaviour are correlated. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the two dimensions of attachment and risky sexual behaviour among young adults. In the non-clinical random sample 181 students of University of Maribor participated, of which 77,3% were women and 22,7% were men. Participants filled in a questionnaire, which was composed of reliable and valid measurement tools that include questions about sexually risky behaviour (SRS), experiences in close relationships (ECR-R), sexual sensation seeking (SSSS) and some other forms of behaviours related to sexuality. The assumed hypotheses were partially confirmed. Statistical analysis showed that between the dimensions of attachment and certain risky sexual behaviours exist mild but statistically significant positive correlations. There are more and statistically greater positive correlations among the dimension of avoidance and risky sexual behaviour than among dimension of anxiety and risky sexual behaviour. To confirm the relationship between the dimensions of attachment and risky sexual behaviour, further research is needed.
... Relevant to the present research, objectification may involve receiving seemingly positive attention from a partner regarding one's physical appearance, which is understandably desirable, but it may also involve an inability to view one's partner as a whole, complete person, which could in turn make difficult the emotional connections that are often required for a fully satisfying relationship. Finally, there is precedent for individuals desiring relationships and romantic experiences that are associated with negative outcomes, such as the appeal of ''bad boys'' (Rebellon & Manasse, 2004) and, in a more extreme sense, rape fantasies (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). Thus, while it is often the case that having a partner who meets one's desires is associated with positive relationship outcomes, it is important to recognize the critical exceptions to that pattern to more deeply understand relationship dynamics. ...
Although the objectification of women is pervasive, it has not been studied extensively in the context of romantic relationships. This is a curious oversight, given that physical appearance is considered a prominent factor in romantic attraction and conceptualizations of objectification tend to involve an exaggerated emphasis on physical appearance. Thus, objectification theory may have interesting implications for romantic relationships. Women who enjoy sexualization may be more likely to have a partner who objectifies them, which could have negative implications for the relationship, as objectification research has generally found that the experience of objectification has negative consequences for women. Across three studies of heterosexual women in relationships (N = 114, N = 196, and N = 208), results showed that those who enjoyed sexualization tended to feel more objectified by their partner, which in turn related to lowered relationship satisfaction. These findings persisted even when controlling for perceptions of partner’s sexual desire, self-objectification, and objectification from strangers. Furthermore, Study 3 provides preliminary evidence that self-objectification may be a precursor to this mediation in that self-objectification was associated with higher enjoyment of sexualization, which was associated with higher partner-objectification, which in turn was associated with lower relationship satisfaction. This research sheds light on how the objectification of women operates within the context of a heterosexual romantic relationship.
... These victimization/coercion narratives may too reflect ODSC themes, in particular, an ''irresistibility'' theme. In the context of a woman's sexual fantasy, if a man uses force against her, it may be seen by her as a sign of her irresistible beauty (see also Bivona & Critelli, 2009;Bivona, Critelli, & Clark, 2012;Bond & Mosher, 1986;Hariton, 1973). ...
In a recent review article, Bogaert and Brotto (2014) discussed "object of desire self-consciousness," a perception that one is romantically and sexually desirable in another's eyes. They argued that this perception is more relevant to women's sociosexual functioning than it is to men's. In the present study, we attempted to find direct evidence that object of desire themes are linked more to women's sexual desire and arousal than they are to men's by examining the differences in content between men's and women's sexual fantasies. A total of 198 men and women reported on arousing themes in sexual fantasies using three methodologies: endorsement of items on a sexual fantasy questionnaire, sentence completion of sexually-charged scenarios, and open-ended sexual fantasies. The men and women also rated their attractiveness and were rated for attractiveness by two female experimenters. On all three fantasy composites, women endorsed more object of desire themes than did men, and these effects occurred independent of the subjective and observer-rated attractiveness measures. The results were discussed in relation to theorizing that object of desire self-consciousness can function as part of many women's self-schemata or scripts related to romance and sexuality.
... They may have personal experience that seemingly fits a myth or they may know someone who seemingly fits a myth. As an illustration, 62% of women in one study reported having rape fantasies (Bivona & Critelli, 2009). Although it may appear that rape fantasies represent a desire to be sexually assaulted, rape fantasies actually can fulfill a submissive erotic sexual script, something foreign to a violent and distressing sexual assault (Bivona, Critelli, & Clark, 2012). ...
One method of educating the judge or jury during criminal or civil trials is expert testimony. A vast range of issues can be discussed by expert witnesses, yet many of these subjects are based on psychological science. Of the potential topics, the more difficult can be those that are sensitive and myth-ridden. To assist psychological professionals in providing expert testimony on these areas, this article outlines 4 areas that are crucial to the practice: (a) psychologists’ duties to the legal system as well as their licensing agency; (b) an example, rape myths, illustrating how these subjects can unduly bias the judge or jury; (c) suggestions on how to be sensitive; and (d) recommendations on how to debunk common myths. When guided by this information, expert testimony can be less daunting and more effective, resulting in well-prepared professionals and well-informed legal system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
The sex-positive movement has largely worked on an agenda of “positive liberty,” which pertains to women’s ability to broaden their sexual expression and diversity. However, a notable aspect overlooked within this framework is women’s “negative liberty,” which concerns their freedom from oppressive dictates and expectations regarding sexuality. Here, I draw parallels between anarchist theories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, early radical feminist discourse, and the contentious “sex wars” of the 1980s, each of which touch on the pivotal tension between women’s freedom to exercise their desires and their freedom from societal impositions. I argue that this tension is crucial in feminist discourse concerning sexual liberation. To elucidate this point, I examine various contemporary instances wherein women encounter conflicting narratives of sexual progress and challenges to their sexual autonomy, including performance of orgasm, scientific and clinical conceptualization and measurement of sexual satisfaction and dysfunction, instances of rape and coercion, assertions of personal choice regarding body hair, and expressions of same-sex desire, sexual fantasies, and threats to abortion rights. Across these examples, I show how the sex-positive movement is limited in its political agenda and argue for a more nuanced consideration of freedom from constraints in conjunction with freedom to pursue desires. Such an evolution could potentially foster a more unified and potent feminist movement.
Female Arousal and Orgasm: Anatomy, Physiology, Behaviour and Evolution is the first comprehensive and accessible work on all aspects of human female sexual desire, arousal and orgasm. The book attempts to answer basic questions about the female orgasm and questions contradictory information on the topic. The book starts with a summary of important early research on human sex before providing detailed descriptions of female sexual anatomy, histology and neuromuscular biology. It concludes with a discussion of the high heritability of female orgasmicity and evidence for and against female orgasm providing an evolutionary advantage.
The author has attempted to gather as much information on the subject as possible, including medical images, anonymized survey data and previously unreported trends. The groundbreaking book gives a scientific perspective on sexual arousal in women, and helps to uncover information gaps about this fascinating yet complex phenomenon.
Informed by calls to re-evaluate the relationship between Canadian literature and power in the wake of Canada’s sesquicentennial, this paper examines Frank G. Paci’s Black Madonna, a 1982 Italian-Canadian novel that played a significant role in early discussions of Canadian multiculturalism. This paper reassesses Paci’s representation of the protagonist Marie, a second-generation Italian-Canadian woman. Using Judith Butler’s concept of the construction of the gendered body and Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection, this paper analyzes Marie’s struggle for bodily control and her rejection of her Italian mother’s ideals about food, sexuality, and family. Through applying this framework of gender performativity and abjection of Otherness, this paper argues that Marie’s disordered relationships with food and her sexuality are a result of the pressure on second-generation female immigrants to perform cultural identity while simultaneously assimilating into Anglo-Canadian culture. I contend that Marie’s rape fantasies and sexually transgressive encounters are indicative of the corporeal tensions faced by female immigrants in Canada, while her bulimic abjection of Italian food acts as a physical manifestation of the abjection of immigrant cultures by both Canadian multiculturalism and second generation immigrants within multiculturalism. This reassessment of Black Madonna provides a framework for re-reading early multicultural texts through a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between multiculturalism, gender, sexuality, food, and trauma.
Following a critical discourse-analytic approach, this study explores the role of euphemistic language in a corpus of titles of pornographic films designed for heterosexual male consumption that were nominated and awarded in the different categories of the AVN (Adult Video News) Awards, also known as “Oscars of Porn”, from 2015 to 2020. The analysis demonstrates that provocative euphemism contributes to the discursive representation of gender and sexual stereotypes that fall under a dominant heteronormative discourse in which female characters are represented both as victims of male dominance and as perverted, sex-crazed animals. This study also reveals that in the context of male supremacy that straight pornography seems to exalt, the sexist and misogynistic connotations that euphemistic references carry are used with a strategic purpose intended to attract the interest of pornography consumers, stimulate their curiosity, and ultimately make them buy, rent or stream the film.
The main purpose of this chapter is to review the recent literature on male sexual fantasies. Topics that are analysed include sexual fantasies’ definitions and functions; methodological issues related to the disparate measures used across studies; the distinction between fantasies, interests/desires, and experiences; how general and unusual fantasies are developed; prevalence rates and the multidimensional content of fantasies, with highlights on gender, sexual orientation, and personality differences; and, finally, fantasies’ role in sexual offending. Overall, sexual fantasies are pervasive across the general population and, for the most part, they reflect evolutionary perspectives on psychology. As sexual fantasies can be used to increase sexual arousal in people that suffer from dysfunctions and to foster more positive romantic feelings towards a partner, they are important in clinical treatment and marital therapy settings. Moreover, they constitute a central component in the treatment of people convicted of sexual offenses that are at a high risk of recidivism. Therefore, it is essential to understand fantasies’ role in human sexuality and behaviour.
This chapter explores Nina Bunjevac’s Bezimena (2019), a dense, deliberately estranging graphic narrative that raises important questions regarding the representation of perpetration, complicity, and punishment. Drawing on Greek mythology, the aesthetics of BDSM, and Bunjevac’s own experiences with sexual violence, Bezimena chronicles the story of a woman transformed into a deeply disturbed young man by Bezimena the Old—an Athena-like figure—as a form of punishment for her past transgressions. Deeply allusive and ambiguous, the graphic narrative overtly rejects—even as it invokes—the language of empathy in favor of a puzzle-like approach to representation, which often demands that we interrogate our own affective engagement with narratives of perpetration, victimhood, and complicity.KeywordsNina BunjevacBezimenaPerpetrationVictimhoodComplicitySexual violence
This article provides an interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis of sex robots and/as sexual fantasy. I demonstrate that sexual fantasy is a highly complex and salient vector of analysis for any discussion of love and sex with robots. First, I introduce contemporary North American sex robots and offer a brief sketch of their ontology as relates to sex toys and pornography. Next, I provide a short but instructive mapping of sexual fantasy scholarship from across the fields of experimental psychology, media and cultural studies, post-colonial, psychoanalytic, feminist, queer and critical race theory. My goal here is to demonstrate sexual fantasy’s polymorphous and productive nature and its complex relationship to reality. Drawing on the theories of sexual fantasy canvassed herein, I examine the role of fantasy to sex robots’ inception, marketing, and consumption. From here I offer an appraisal of radical feminist, new materialist, and disabled queer and trans feminists’ critiques of sex robots and their users. I argue that theorizing sex robots through the lens(es) of sexual fantasy is necessary given efforts to stigmatize, regulate, and criminalize sexual fantasy and sextech users in the post/digital age. Future scholarship is encouraged to further examine the sex robot/sexual fantasy nexus and to consider whether and how their intersections impede or facilitate the development of alternative “networks of affection” including those that lie between the platonic and romantic or between “carbonsexuality” and technosexuality/digisexuality.
Aggression-related sexual fantasies (ASF) have been related to various forms of harmful sexual behavior in both sex offender and community samples. However, more research is needed to fully understand this relation, particularly whether ASF is associated with harmful sexual behavior beyond hostile sexism against women and a sexual preference for violence and sexual violence. In the present study, N = 428 participants (61.9% women) between 18 and 83 years of age (M = 28.17, SD = 9.7) reported their ASF and hostile sexism. They rated their sexual arousal by erotic, violent, and sexually violent pictures as a direct measure of sexual preference. Response latencies between stimulus presentation and arousal ratings were used as an indirect measure of sexual preference. ASF and the directly and indirectly assessed sexual preference for violent and sexually violent stimuli were positively correlated. They were unrelated to hostile sexism against women. ASF showed the strongest associations with self-reported sexually sadistic behavior and presumably non-consensual sexual sadism beyond these preferences and hostile sexism in the total group and separately among men and women. The findings indicate that ASF and sexual preference are not equivalent constructs and further underscore the potential relevance of ASF for harmful sexual behavior.
There are numerous sex blogs on Tumblr. The scope and presentation of sexuality on said platform ranges from sex blogs that act as publicly or semipublicly accessible repositories of sexual fantasies, intersectional discursive spaces whereon cross‐sectional debates and forums concerning numerous aspects of sex and sexuality occur, informative spaces providing information, data, and personal testimonials concerning various aspects of the praxes of sexuality and sex, to the ostensibly pornographic. Within this ostensibly variegated digital milieu of sexual representation, the controversial topic of rape fantasies is recurrent, particularly within the remit of Tumblr's numerous BDSM, D/d, DD/lg blogs and communities. Referring to definitions of rape fantasies, their clinical interpretations, and the relationship between rape fantasies and the internet, this entry discusses both rape fantasies themselves as well as how these sexualities and their representation circulate online.
There is no accepted definition of the term paraphilia despite its being listed as an essential feature of a class of mental disorders known as the paraphilic disorders. The origin of the term, history of its inclusion as a diagnosis, and logical flaws inherent in the various definitions are discussed in this review. We examine the basis for pathologizing individuals with paraphilias, consider what paraphilias can tell us about how humans develop their sexual interests, and question the usefulness of dividing sexual interests into paraphilias and normophilias. The construct of the paraphilias appears to be poorly conceived and has outlived its usefulness.
Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Volume 16 is May 7, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Casual sexual connections may have been common for young men in previous decades (or centuries) but it seemed like big news when women began readily participating in hook ups. Suddenly researchers everywhere began to worry about the impact of hooking up and whether it was deleterious for the people who engaged in it—especially women. The whole idea behind hooking up is that sex can be spontaneous, casual, and without expectations of a deeper relationship. But the facts seem to be that for some people, hooking up is the gateway to a real relationship. Hooking up is a bit of an umbrella term for sexual behavior outside of a traditional romantic relationship. Attraction takes many forms and while it is often not acted on, it becomes embedded in our fantasy world. This chapter talks about Women's Fantasies that are different from men's.
Masculinity is a culturally defined identity that exists with no single way to express it. However, the cultural politics police masculinity to appear natural and non-changing, but masculinity changes over history influenced by events and the culture from which it gets its definition. Because of this twofold influence on the identity, there is a constant struggle of the appropriate ways to express masculinity in its attempt to normalize itself by defining what is and is not masculine. This work examines how Bigfoot, the hairy fabled monster, embodies conversations about masculinity during a shift in the masculine identity in a constantly modernizing world. Bigfoot, as a cultural product, is representative of a crisis in defining masculinity in modern American culture and acts as an order to normalize the reassertion of an antiquated masculinity. Bigfoot is a temporary outlet that functions as a projection of the needs and desires men wish to release. Men will always question if they are man enough, and Bigfoot provides a collective construction of thoughts and beliefs to symbolize an escapist dream away from the house. This study seeks to understand the significance of the widespread attitudes and beliefs through the image of Bigfoot as a way to examine how people question their authenticity, place, and identity against and within society. Ultimately, this study reveals that the masculinity Bigfoot is able to represent continues to divide genders and bound sexualities, and finds men problematic for reasserting that there is a correct masculinity that marginalizes and controls.
The most common manifestation of behavioral autogynephilia involves the act or fantasy of taking the female role in heterosexual intercourse or other sexual activity with a male partner. Many transsexual informants described fantasies or behaviors involving sex with men. Some stated that their interest in sex with male partners primarily reflected a desire for validation of their femininity or attractiveness as women. Often the male partners that informants imagined were faceless, symbolic figures, rather than specific, identifiable men. Several informants reported that they were not genuinely attracted to men or that they found men’s bodies disagreeable or disgusting, despite their interest in the validation male partners could provide. Informants never described falling in love with men. Several informants stated that they had developed their first feelings of sexual attraction to men during the course of sex reassignment; some proposed that they had really been attracted to men all along or had been destined to be, but had been deterred by internalized homophobia. One informant with an autogynephilic sexual orientation reported a history of extensive sexual experience with men. Distinguishing autogynephilic sexual attraction to men from genuine androphilia can be challenging for both autogynephilic transsexuals and their caregivers.
Serial crime is an elaboration stemmed from police investigation's methodology. This allows the criminal situations linkage by a link implementation. This allows the criminal events linkage to rest on an identical behavior identification. This one will be ascribed to a same offender. The American model of serial murder constitutes our reference. From the analysis of its limits, we shall work out a different model of serial phenomenon. Studies about criminal career create the hypothesis of the author's offenses coherence. They make us consider the serial phenomenon not as a presentation of an identical offense behavior that would reproduce itself, but as a psychical insistence that renews itself. The judicial field is the one by which this insistence is visible. We will demonstrate that this psychic insistence comes true in existence's all pathways of the subject, in a renewed endeavour to resolve a psychical conflict. Serial phenomenon becomes a way to analyze a mode of psychical functioning and not only a linkage of phenomena. The serial analysis of two patients' existence trajectory will give us possibility to demonstrate this.
This essay explores the nature and implications of sexual fantasies. The essay begins from the apparent paradox that while it is frequently condemned for its absolute explicitness (‘leaving nothing to the imagination’) it is at the same time condemned for arousing ‘uncontrollable fantasies’. Several strands of theorization are reviewed, attending in particular to their shared assumption that such fantasies are essentially compensatory – making up for either stored-up problems from childhood or signs of inadequacy in a person's sexual maturation. Challenging these accounts, the essay draws on evidence from a major investigation into the meanings and pleasures of pornography conducted in 2011, which garnered more than 5000 responses to a complex online questionnaire combining quantitative and qualitative questions. Ten motivations for using and enjoying sexual fantasies are distinguished, within which five distinct ways of understanding the relations between pornography and fantasy are outlined: as magnifying glass, as mirror to self, as emporium, as journey, and as alternative self. These are understood as productive of new sexual possibilities.
While the sex-positive movement has made a significant contribution to the advancement of women's sexuality, much of this work has emphasized 'positive liberty,' that is, women's freedom to expand sexual expression and sexual diversity. This work has largely ignored women's freedom from oppressive mandates and requirements about their sexuality, that is, 'negative liberty.' Drawing upon anarchist theories from the 19th and 20th centuries, political theories of positive and negative liberty, early radical feminist arguments, and the infamous 'sex wars' of the 1980s, the fundamental tension between women's freedom to do what they want, and freedom from doing what others require of them, proves a critical juncture in feminist understandings of sexual freedom. To illustrate this, I examine seven key examples where women are caught between joyous celebrations of sexual progress and disturbingly regressive attacks on their sexual empowerment: orgasm, sexual satisfaction, treatment for sexual dysfunction, rape and sexual coercion, body hair as 'personal choice,' same-sex eroticism, and sexual fantasy. Ultimately, I argue that the sex-positive movement must advance its politics to include a more serious consideration of the freedom from as it relates to the freedom to. In doing so, tensions around the 'sex wars' could evolve into a more cohesive and powerful feminist movement. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.
This book by Anne A. Lawrence describes the feelings and behavior of autogynephilic male-to-female transsexuals in their own words.
Treatments of female sexual arousal dysfunction for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors could greatly benefit from more information on mechanisms to the sexual arousal problems specific to this population. In this study, 60 CSA survivors and 120 women with no history of CSA (NCSA) participated in an Internet-based survey on sexual arousal and sexual fantasies. Self-reported sexual arousal was measured with the Female Sexual Function Index and a modified version of the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory: Sexual Fantasies was used to assess frequency and types of sexual fantasies. The frequency of degrading and violent sexual fantasies was not associated with sexual arousal. The CSA group did not report more degrading and violent sexual fantasies than the NCSA group. Greater frequency of conventional fantasies (i.e. sex with one's partner, sex in unusual positions, oral sex) was associated with greater sexual arousal for both groups. Clinical implications derived from these findings include whether encouraging more conventional sexual fantasies could facilitate sexual arousal.
This study evaluated explanations of rape fantasy in a sample of female undergraduates (N = 355) using a sexual fantasy checklist which included eight types of rape fantasy, participants' detailed descriptions of a rape fantasy they have had, a rape fantasy scenario audio presentation, and measures of personality. Three explanations of rape fantasy were tested: openness to sexual experience, sexual desirability, and sexual blame avoidance. Women who were higher in erotophilia and self-esteem and who had more frequent consensual sexual fantasies and more frequent desirability fantasies, particularly of performing as a stripper, had more frequent rape fantasies. Women who were higher in erotophilia, openness to fantasy, desirability fantasies, and self-esteem reported greater sexual arousal to rape fantasies. Sexual blame avoidance theory was not supported; sexual desirability theory was moderately supported; openness to sexual experience theory received the strongest support.
Developed a survey capable of reflecting hidden cases of rape and of documenting a dimensional view of sexual aggression/sexual victimization. This survey examines degrees of coercion used or experienced in sexual activity. Results obtained from 3,862 university students support a dimensional view. The viability of a survey approach to sample selection for future rape research is discussed. (4 ref)
This article argues that the general practice of describing interrater reliability as a single, unified concept is at best imprecise, and at worst potentially misleading. Rather than representing a single concept, different statistical methods for computing interrater reliability can be more accurately classified into one of three categories based upon the underlying goals of analysis. The three general categories introduced and described in this paper are: 1) consensus estimates, 2) consistency estimates, and 3) measurement estimates. The assumptions, interpretation, advantages, and disadvantages of estimates from each of these three categories are discussed, along with several popular methods of computing interrater reliability coefficients that fall under the umbrella of consensus, consistency, and measurement estimates. Researchers and practitioners should be aware that different approaches to estimating interrater reliability carry with them different implications for how ratings across multiple judges should be summarized, which may impact the validity of subsequent study results.
Rape victims with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; N = 45) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: stress inoculation training (SIT), prolonged exposure (PE), supportive counseling (SC), or wait-list control (WL). Treatments consisted of nine biweekly 90-min individual sessions conducted by a female therapist. Measures of PTSD symptoms, rape-related distress, general anxiety, and depression were administered at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow-up (M = 3.5 months posttreatment). All conditions produced improvement on all measures immediately post-treatment and at follow-up. However, SIT produced significantly more improvement on PTSD symptoms than did SC and WL immediately following treatment. At follow-up, PE produced superior outcome on PTSD symptoms. The implications of these findings and direction for treatment and future research are discussed.
Explored normative variations in daydreams that women reported as occurring during sexual intercourse and tested the relative validity of several theoretical models of the function of coital fantasy. Ss were 141 suburban housewives who responded to questionnaires involving general daydreaming tendencies, fantasies, and other ideation during coitus; sexual patterns; marital adjustment; and measures of intelligence, personality, and personal adjustment. 56 Ss were interviewed intensively to elaborate and check on questionnaire responses. 65% of the Ss reported moderate to high levels of erotic fantasy during intercourse, with "imaginary lover" and "submission" the commonest themes. Factor analysis suggests support primarily for "personality cognitive" and "adaptive" models of coital fantasy rather than for drive-reduction models. (28 ref)
This article reviews the research literature on sexual fantasy, a central aspect of human sexual behavior. Topics include (a) gender similarities and differences in the incidence, frequency, and content of sexual fantasies and how they relate to sociocultural and sociobiological theories of sexual behavior; (b) the association between frequency or content of sexual fantasies and variables such as age, sexual adjustment and satisfaction, guilt, sexual orientation, personality, and sexual experience; and (c) "deviant" sexual fantasies (i.e., what they are, whether they play a role in the commission of sexual crimes, and whether they can be modified). The article ends with a summary of major findings and suggestions for future research.
The present study assessed the acute reactions of women who had experienced sexual assault within a framework of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hundred women treated for sexual assault at a university hospital emergency department were interviewed within 72 hours of the incident. Of the 30 women reinterviewed 6 to 8 weeks later, 22 (73.3%) met the full criteria for PTSD, and an additional 5 reported symptoms in either the intrusive or avoidant domain. Twenty (66.7%) of the women met the criteria for PTSD based on an early draft of DSM-III-R. A prior history of sexual assaults was positively correlated with the presence of PTSD and the use of an informal support network was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms.
Men sexually aroused by the portrayal of force in stories or pictures also self-report a high likelihood to rape if they could get away with it and have hostile and aggressive feelings toward women. The present study assessed males' and females' written sexual fantasies and the fantasies' relationship to past sexually coercive experiences and coercive attitudes. One hundred students answered questions about their fantasies and sex life, and their fantasies were scored for explicitness, theme, emotionality, and forcefulness. Significant main effects were found for coercive experience and force versus no force in the sexual fantasies. Those with coercive experience had more sexually explicit and less emotional fantasies and males had more actual sexual experience and more themes of much younger or older partners. More force in the fantasies was associated with greater explicitness, less happy feeling, and, for males, greater feelings of excitement after the fantasy and less satisfaction with their sex life.
Two hypotheses were tested which demonstrated that, although women may be sexually aroused and experience positive affects during the guided imagining of an erotic “rape” fantasy, women respond to guided imagery of a realistic rape with negative affects and no sexual arousal. The affective and subjective sexual responses of 104 undergraduate women were assessed as a function of sex guilt and random assignment to conditions: (a) erotic fantasy of “rape,” (b) realistic rape with ambiguous responsibility, and (c) realistic rape with unambiguous responsibility. In comparison to women in the realistic rape conditions, women who imagined an erotic fantasy of “rape” were significantly more sexually aroused and experienced more interest, enjoyment, and pleasure. Women imagining realistic rape reported significantly more affective disgust, fear, anger, pain, shame, and depression. In comparison to low sex guilt women, high sex guilt women were significantly lower on sexual arousal across scenarios, and they found the erotic fantasy of “rape” less pleasurable, enjoyable, and interesting. Ethical issues are discussed at some length, and the importance of not mixing erotic and realistic cues in research on rape is stressed.
203 college women anonymously completed a questionnaire to determine whether women entertain conscious rape fantasies. Data show that 57% reported experiencing conscious rape fantasies. However, upon analysis, approximately one-half of these were found to be seduction fantasies. It is concluded that 28.6% of the Ss engaged in rape fantasies, and these were essentially unpleasant nonerotic experiences. Evidence did not support the hypotheses regarding the masochistic nature of female sexuality as embodied in the idea of a rape-wish. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Explored whether women with sexual fantasies involving force are interested in a more diverse range of sexual stimuli than women without force fantasies. In Exp 1, 16 of 94 female undergraduates had 1 fantasy with forced sexual activity. Ss with force fantasies had more themes of group sex and sex with strangers; rated themselves as more frightened, guilty, and disgusted after the fantasy; rated the fantasy as one they could not act on; and read sex-oriented magazines and watched sex-oriented movies more than the no-force group. Exp 2, with 87 female undergraduates, replicated most findings of Exp 1 and found that Ss with force fantasies were also significantly more erotophilic and sexually experienced. The hypothesis that females with force fantasies would be interested in a range of sexual stimuli and sexual activities was strongly supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Sexual fantasizing during intercourse, masturbation, and nonsexual activity was examined in 30 males and 30 females, American students at Tel-Aviv University. Each subject responded individually to questionnaires involving general background information, sexual activity, daydreaming frequency and attitudes toward daydreaming, and a sexual fantasy scale. The results indicated that virtually no man or woman denied having sexual fantasies. Any observable sex differences were in kind rather than amount of fantasy. Women had more submission fantasies, whereas men reported more performance fantasies. This difference was interpreted as reflecting social sexual stereotypes. In support of a cognitive skill model, it was found that sexual fantasizing proliferates along with increases in both sexual and daydreaming experience. Sexual passivity was related to a greater degree of fantasizing during sex. On the whole, the findings suggest that sexual fantasizing is a universal occurrence which in itself is not necessarily related to psychopathology.
Investigated the effects of response cues (erotic, romantic, or neutral) and level of sex guilt on the self-reported sexual fantasies of 90 undergraduate females. Ss completed a sex guilt inventory (Masher Forced-Choice Guilt Inventory—Female Form), the Nowlis Mood Adjective Check List, the Fantasy Theme Checklist, and ratings of their affective responses and physiological arousal associated with the writing of the fantasies. High sex guilt Ss preferred fantasy themes indicating a lack of responsibility for engaging in sexual interaction. Ss in the erotic fantasy condition wrote more explicit fantasies and described more varied content. Arousal seemed to be affected by the response cuing in the predicted direction but not by the Ss' guilt levels. Sex guilt level seemed to be a better predictor of affective responses, such as guilt and embarrassment, than the response cuing. Results suggest that sexual fantasy behavior may be part of a cluster of sexual behaviors governed by an individual's level of sex guilt. It is suggested that the demonstration that fantasy production seemed to be influenced by situational demands has implications for collection and use of fantasy information by both clinicians and researchers. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This paper presents a general statistical methodology for the analysis of multivariate categorical data arising from observer reliability studies. The procedure essentially involves the construction of functions of the observed proportions which are directed at the extent to which the observers agree among themselves and the construction of test statistics for hypotheses involving these functions. Tests for interobserver bias are presented in terms of first-order marginal homogeneity and measures of interobserver agreement are developed as generalized kappa-type statistics. These procedures are illustrated with a clinical diagnosis example from the epidemiological literature.
This study presents male and female responses of 193 university students to questions about sexual experiences and fantasies. There are few significant gender differences in experiences, but many in fantasies. Males fantasized about sex more and exhibited greater interest in partner variation and in the spectrum from domination to sadism. While male sexuality is often described as aggressive/sadistic and female sexuality as passive/masochistic, most men and women in our population do not report fantasies supporting such stereotypes.
Developed a survey capable of reflecting hidden cases of rape and of documenting a dimensional view of sexual aggression/sexual victimization. This survey examines degrees of coercion used or experienced in sexual activity. Results obtained from 3,862 university students support a dimensional view. The viability of a survey approach to sample selection for future rape research is discussed. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This report is a replication of a study conducted 10 years ago by Person et al., investigating gender differences in sexual behaviors and fantasies in a college population. We found that men continue to fantasize more than women, but the gender differences have narrowed. Recent sexual experiences of our population show a trend toward an increase in gender differences, and there is a greater correlation between sexual fantasy and experiences in women than in men. As in Person's study, we did not find that men had more aggressive/sadistic fantasies than women.
Attitudinal and experiential correlates of sexual fantasies involving force or coercion against the fantasizer were studied in 137 college women. Results revealed that (i) virtually every woman reported engaging in sexual fantasy on a regular basis, (ii) more than half the subjects reported having engaged in a force fantasy, (iii) those reporting force fantasies scored as less sexually guilty and more erotophilic than those not reporting such fantasies. Those reporting force fantasies also had more sexual experience and engaged in more fantasizing of the nonforce type than the other subjects. A history of exposure to sexual force or coercion was unrelated to the report of force fantasies. Taken together, these findings are offered in support of the hypothesis that the occurrence of force fantasies, rather than resulting from an attempt to deal with sexual guilt, represents one of a number of ways in which some women demonstrate a relatively open, unrestricted, and varied approach to their sexuality.
This study estimated a path model of women's forceful sexual fantasies. Constructs examined were childhood sexual abuse, feminist beliefs, sexual guilt, erotophilia, and sexual experience. The study clarifies how these factors mediate one another in relationship to forceful sexual fantasies, and is first to examine the effects of feminist beliefs on forceful sexual fantasy. Adult women (N = 261) participated by completing an online survey. A path from sex guilt to forceful sexual fantasy, mediated by erotophilia, was found, wherein low levels of sex guilt and high levels of erotophilia were found to predict forceful sexual fantasy. A direct path between childhood sexual abuse and forceful sexual fantasy was also found. The resulting model is discussed in relation to previously-proposed theories on the role of force in women's sexual fantasies.
This article is the first systematic review of the research literature on women's rape fantasies. Current research indicates that between 31% and 57% of women have fantasies in which they are forced into sex against their will, and for 9% to 17% of women these are a frequent or favorite fantasy experience. Erotic rape fantasies are paradoxical: they do not appear to make sense. Why would a person have an erotic and pleasurable fantasy about an event that, in real life, would be abhorrent and traumatic? In this article, the major theories of women's rape fantasies are evaluated both rationally and empirically. These theories explain rape fantasies in terms of masochism, sexual blame avoidance, openness to sexuality, sexual desirability, male rape culture, biological predisposition to surrender, sympathetic physiological activation, and adversary transformation. This article evaluates theory and research, makes provisional judgments as to which theories appear to be most viable, and begins the task of theoretical integration to arrive at a more complete and internally consistent explanation for why many women engage in erotic rape fantasies. Methodological critiques and programs for future research are presented throughout.
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