Men with a strong sense of entitlement are three times more likely to commit “stealthing” during sex.
This is according to a new University of the Sunshine Coast study, “The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and non-consensual condom removal in an Australian sample” by Andrew Allen, Tahlia Brown and Jonathan Mason, that was published in the Psychology, Crime and Law journal.
Stealthing is a form of sexual violence that involves the removal of a condom before or during sex without a partner’s knowledge or consent.
The latest survey of the attitudes of more than 100 men builds on a growing body of UniSC-led research into the psychology behind the physically and mentally harmful behaviour known scientifically as Non-Consensual Condom Removal (NCCR).
Evidence suggests that 8 to 32 percent of women and 5 to 19 percent of men have experienced it.
Clinical psychologist and lead researcher Allen said the study identified two deeply held belief patterns that could predict men’s intention to “stealth”.
The first was a sense of entitlement or grandiosity, in other words believing that rules don’t apply to you; and men who showed this pattern were more than three times more likely to report arousal and intent to engage in stealthing, and the second was punitiveness, or the tendency to punish others for not complying with your wishes, which is associated with lacking empathy and being judgmental.
“We anticipated the entitlement finding but the role of punitiveness – suggesting that some men may be drawn to NCCR as a form of retaliation against a partner – has not been documented previously.
“On the flip side, the study found that men with greater confidence in condom use were less likely to commit NCCR. This suggests that practical sexual health skills may lower the risk factors and increase safety for partners.”
Allen said the first-of-its-kind exploratory study built on larger research with the same collaborators from UniSC and the Cairnmillar Institute in Victoria.
“We previously found links between narcissism, psychopathy and stealthing,” he said. “Basically, all of these traits reinforce a consistent picture of self-serving beliefs and disregard for a partner’s autonomy increasing the risk of offending.”
For the researchers, further studies are vital because relatively little is known about the psychological factors behind this crime.
“It not only violates consent but also exposes victims to sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and lasting emotional harm,” Allen said.
He said the findings already had direct clinical relevance. “Psychological treatment programs could specifically address these two cognitive patterns, while community prevention efforts could include them in consent education and challenges to unhealthy gender norms.”
