Understanding Consent Acquisition Style: Exploring the Links in Masculinity and Men's Acquisition and Sexual Consent

Background: Sexual consent remains a complex and often ambiguous concept in practice, encompassing various assumptions and definitions. Despite efforts, individuals struggle to define and understand consent in practice. Masculinity norms and socialization influence the development of many men's identities, impacting their interactions, relationships, and the acquisition of consent. This study explores the relationship between masculinity and men's acquisition of sexual consent, highlighting norms and socialization on consent practices.

Methods: This study utilized secondary data from the 2018 Masculinity Survey by NY Public Radio with FiveThirtyEight. The survey included responses from 953 adult men in the United States. The survey contained questions about masculinity, gender roles, romantic relationships, and consent. The dependent variable was consent acquisition style, categorized into three types: no consent acquisition style, ambiguous consent style (depending on the situation), and concrete consent style (verbal confirmation, body language, or make a move). Independent variables included internalized and externalized masculinity constructs, such as identified masculinity, masculinity status, feelings of isolation, and learned masculinity norms. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze links between masculinity constructs and consent acquisition styles.

Results: The analysis revealed significant relationships between masculinity constructs and consent acquisition styles. Men who experienced feelings of isolation were less likely to have a concrete consent acquisition style. Those who learned masculinity norms from sources other than family, friends, or pop culture were more likely to have clear consent acquisition. Hegemonically masculine behaviors were consistently associated with both ambiguous and concrete consent acquisition styles. The more hegemonically masculine behaviors a man endorsed, the more likely he was to have some level of consent acquisition style. Age was also a significant factor, with older men being less likely to have a concrete consent acquisition style.

Conclusions and Implications: This study highlights the significant relationship between masculinities and consent acquisition among men. Internalized and externalized masculinity factors, such as feelings of isolation, socialization sources, and hegemonically masculine behaviors, play crucial roles in shaping consent acquisition styles. Men who experienced feelings of isolation were less likely to have a concrete consent acquisition style, suggesting that social isolation impacts understanding and communication of consent. Those who learned masculinity norms from sources other than family, friends, or pop culture were more likely to have a clear consent acquisition style. Hegemonically masculine behaviors were consistently associated with both ambiguous and concrete consent acquisition styles. Age was also significant, with older men being less likely to have a concrete consent acquisition style. Social workers should incorporate masculinity-related pressures into treatment plans, using theories of patriarchy and systemic masculinities. Creating supportive environments for men to discuss these issues can help overcome isolation and develop healthier coping strategies. Future research should focus on understanding how men obtain consent and the relationship between aging, masculinities, and sexual violence perpetration.