It is surprising, but well established in previous research that women are more likely than men to access pornography that emphasizes themes of dominance, submission, bondage, gangbangs, and even rape scenarios. These themes also pervade many romance novels read by women. A recently published study of 561 German women tested their responses to sexually explicit written narratives that described both consensual and coercive encounters. The women who showed greater sexual arousal in response to the coercive scenarios tended to be characterized by high sex drive and ideological subscription to rape myths, such as women implicitly consenting if they don’t fight back, “asking for it” by acting or dressing provocatively, or men being unable to control their impulses in the presence of sexual temptation.
Why Do Some Women Like Violent Pornography?
