A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Women's Experiences of Internalized Sociocultural Sexual Pressure

Sexual coercion occurs when a person applies pressure to force another person to have unwanted sex. Yet, sociocultural expectations may also impact women's sexual consent/refusal behaviors in the absence of partner pressure. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis to investigate factors contributing to incongruent sexual decision-making (i.e. internal feelings which are inconsistent with their consent/refusal behaviors) among women from westernized nations. A scoping review of eight databases was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Our search yielded 2,946 articles, with 41 meeting inclusion and quality appraisal criteria. Results revealed sources of incongruent consent/refusal behaviors through five themes: (1) women experience communication barriers, (2) women internalize relationship norms and prioritize men, (3) women experience situational pressure, (4) women experience a fear of sexual violence, and (5) women manage a double bind of sexual behavior. We propose a novel concept to understand sociocultural factors influencing people's consent/refusal behaviors that are incongruent with their internal feelings, labeled internalized sociocultural sexual pressure (ISSP). We conceptualize ISSP as a framework for internalizing sociocultural norms to a degree that they are influential or may even feel coercive, resulting in a spectrum of sexual consent/refusal behaviors, like acquiescing to unwanted sex and declining wanted sex. The intensity of ISSP experiences can vary significantly; some people may perceive these pressures as mild, whereas others may experience them to a degree that they feel coercive.