Consent Violations Survey
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Consent Violations Survey Tech Report Prepared by: Susan Wright, M.A. Co-Principal Investigator National Coalition for Sexual Freedom Russell J. Stambaugh, Ph.D. Co-Principal Investigator Derrell Cox, M.A. Department of Anthropology Center for Applied Social Research University of Oklahoma 1 August 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section I: Introduction Background Project Aims Section II: Method Procedure Sample Section III: Results Touching at BDSM Events Consent Violations during BDSM Activities Who is being violated? Who is violating consent? Frequency of Violations When was consent violated the first time? How was consent violated? References Reporting Consensual Nonconsent Relationships Repercussions Consent Violators False Accusations 2 SECTION I: INTRODUCTION Background The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom gathered data through its first Consent Survey in 2012 in order to gauge attitudes about consent and consent violations within a power exchange context. Of those responding, 33% indicated that their pre-negotiated limit had been violated and/or their safeword was ignored during a BDSM encounter. This Consent Violations Survey was launched in 2014 to gather additional details about consent violations in a BDSM context including: the severity of the violations, who is being violated, where they were violated, the relationship and intent of those involved, the power dynamic at the time of the violation, as well as information about false accusations and from people who have committed consent violations. SECTION II: METHODS Procedure The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) undertook an Internet survey on Consent Violations in a BDSM context and recruited participants through various electronic means, such as distribution through website posts and email list-serves belonging to the NCSF Coalition Partners and members. The survey questions were created by Susan Wright, M.A., Co-Principal Investigator, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, and Russell J. Stambaugh, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator. Some of the questions duplicated questions asked on the 2012 Consent Survey so data could be compared. Additional questions were developed to gain further insight into consent violations. This project has been reviewed and endorsed by a community advisory board of the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS), a community-based research support organization which includes members of alternative sexualities communities. This project has scientific merit, follows ethical guidelines for research, and avoids community harm in its design and methods.i Derrell Cox, M.A., Department of Anthropology, Center for Applied Social Research at University of Oklahoma, assisted in the analysis and is the statistician. Sample The survey was posted on Survey Monkey from January to June 2014. There were 4,598 people who began the survey, with up to 210 people choosing to not respond to some of the questions in the main question set. This excellent click-through rate (95.5%) indicates people were highly motivated to respond on the issue of consent violations. The reported number of consent violations may under-count psychologically important non-consensual incidents, because anyone so troubled that they no longer participate in real life or online BDSM communities may not have seen the survey to participate in it. On the other 3 hand, people who experienced consent violations may have been more motivated to respond simply because of the title of the survey. Nearly 90% of the respondents live in the United States. Less than half heard about the Consent Violations Survey on FetLife compared to 72% of the respondents in the first Consent Survey. This is likely due to the fact that the call for the first Consent Survey was posted in FetLife Announcements, and therefore received a much wider play among the FetLife community. The respondents ranged between 18 and more than 70 years of age, with 65% between the ages of 25-50. By race, the vast majority of individuals were Caucasian (88.84%), but a minority were Black/African American (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian (1.6%), Asian (1.1%), Latino(a)/Hispanic (1.8%), Multiracial or ‘Other’ (e.g., “Jewish” and “Middle Eastern”) (4.0%). The rate of Caucasian respondents is the same as the Violence & Discrimination Survey (88.4%) conducted by Susan Wright and NCSF in 2008. This could be representative of the low rate of diversity within the organized BDSM community, or a reflection of the sampling strategy of these surveys. Consistent with previous NCSF surveys, 71% of the respondents were not comfortable speaking to their family or coworkers about their BDSM activities. 18% were not comfortable speaking to their primary partner about their BDSM activities. Nearly 84% of the respondents participate in a BDSM-leather-fetish online community or website. 15% have never attended a BDSM event or group, with over 23% of the sample having not attended a kink event or group in the past year. Participants in the Consent Violations Survey were 55% female, 36% male, and nearly 10% identify as gender queer, transgender, gender fluid or agender (see Figure 1). This sample is not typical of the gender breakdown in the two NCSF Violence and Discrimination surveys, which were divided approximately evenly between men and women. This may be due to the fact that the female respondents experienced a higher rate of consent violations and therefore there was a higher motivation for females to take a survey about consent violations. Consistent with previous NCSF Gender queer, Transgender, Other, 1.9 surveys, 41% 4.9 2.5 Figure 1 identified as heterosexual while nearly 60% of the participants Male, 35.9 Female, 54.8 identified as a sexual minority, with larger proportions identifying as bisexual (26%) and pansexual (16%), and smaller What best describes your gender identity now? quantities (By percent; n=4598) identifying as 4 gay/lesbian, asexual Figure 2 Asexual, 2.3 questioning, Pansexual, Other, hetero/homoflexible, 16.0 7.4 queer, unlabeled, or other (see Figure 2). Bisexual, 26.1 Heterosexual, 41.3 Gay/Lesbian, 6.9 What best describes your sexual orientation now? (By percent; n=4594) SECTION III: RESULTS Touching at BDSM Events Nearly 36% of the respondents reported being touched without permission at a BDSM meeting, club, munch, party or event. Almost one-third of these consent violations were a nonsexual touch while 38% involved sexual touching on breasts, genitals or buttocks. Multiple violations at various times were reported by 10% of the respondents (see Table 1). Table 1. Touched without Responses– permission at an event 1,603 Hair touching 1% (22) Hug 6% (91) Multiple violations/multiple times 10% (162) Hit by a toy/hand 13% (212) Nonsexual touch 32% (506) Sexual touch 38% (610) Of note: 39% of the female participants and 28% of the male participants in the survey were touched without permission at a BDSM club or event. Over 42% of those who are gender 5 queer, transgender, or other gender identities were touched, while heterosexuals were less likely to be touched without permission (see Table 2). Table 2. Yes n (%) N Total Gender Identity Females 967 (39%) 2472 Males 452 (28%) 1612 Gender queer 101 (46%) 219 Transgender 47 (42%) 111 Other 36 (44%) 85 Sexual Orientation Asexual 23 (23%) 102 Bisexual 437 (37%) 1176 Gay/Lesbian 133 (43%) 308 Heterosexual 499 (27%) 1857 Pansexual 342 (47%) 723 Other 169 (51%) 331 For those who were touched without permission, only 28% reported it to event producers. Of those people, 61% thought the producers were very or extremely helpful, while nearly 19% reported they Workshop/ Hotel room, were not helpful at all. The educational 0.81% Other, Car, 0.25% violations tended to happen space, 9.65% in the social space (57%) 1.99% followed by the play space Play space, Figure 3 (30%), (see Figure 3). 30.18% Nearly 11% (485 Social space, people) reported that they 57.13% have touched someone without permission at an event. 75% reported it was a nonsexual touch or hug. There was no statistical Where did the consent violation occur at the BDSM difference in the gender event? (By percent; n=1607) identity among those people who touched someone (see Table 3). The admissions are flat with respect to gender, but complaints are highly asymmetrical. 6 Table 3. Yes n (%) N Total Females 246 (10%) 2460 Males 196 (12%) 1607 Gender queer 22 (10%) 219 Transgender 12 (11%) 111 Other 9 (11%) 84 Consent Violations during BDSM Activities In regards to consent violations during a BDSM scene or relationship, a total of 1,307 (29% of 4,503 respondents) reported that their pre-negotiated limits and/or their safeword have been violated (see Figure 4). A total of 24.5% (1,101 people) said their pre-negotiated limits were violated during a BDSM scene or relationship, while 13.1% (588 people) said their pre-negotiated safeword or safesign was ignored. Altogether, 382 (8.5%) people said both their pre-negotiated limits and their safeword/safesign were violated. Both Have your Prenegotiated prenegotiated Safeword safeword/safesign Safesign & Limit and/or your Violations, 8.5 No Violations, prenegotiated Prenegotiated 71.0 limits ever been Limit Violation BDSM Scene or violated in a BDSM Relationship, scene or 16.0 relationship? (By percent; n=4503) Prenegotiated Safeword/sign Violation, 4.6 Figure 4 Between 1,077 and 991 people responded to the detailed question set that asked about one specific consent violation they have experienced. That means 232 people declined to answer any questions in the detailed question set even though they said their pre-negotiated limits and/or safeword were violated. The detailed question set asked why they thought their pre-negotiated limits or safeword were violated. One-third of those who responded said they were manipulated or 7 coerced, while another 26% say they were attacked by a predator.