“It's not that serious”: Individual and situational factors that influence perceptions of online versus in-person sexual coercion

Abstract

The impact of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is often minimized, especially when it is compared to in-person sexual violence. This study explored the effect of situational and individual factors on perceptions of a form of TFSV, sexting coercion, online and in-person. Undergraduates (N = 1467, 72 % women) were randomly assigned to one of six conditions and read vignettes that manipulated the relationship (strangers, casually dating, committed relationship) and coercive tactics (threat, hint) used to pressure someone to sext. Overall, participants rated both online and in-person sexting coercion as unacceptable, suggesting most can recognize the inherent lack of consent and potential harm associated with such behaviours. Albeit with small to medium effect sizes, paired samples t-tests found that sexting pressure was viewed as less coercive when it occurred online compared to in-person. A regression showed that gender (women) and tactic (threat) were significant predictors of viewing in-person pressure to sext as more coercive. In contrast, higher Factor 1 psychopathic traits and participants in the hinting tactic condition viewed online pressure to sext as more acceptable, while men were more likely to rate online sexting pressure as acceptable and to perceive that the target had given consent. Education initiatives should consider these factors to counteract the downplaying of online sexual coercion and technology-facilitated sexual violence.