View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and Its Role in Romantic Relationships – An Indian Perspective.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and Its Role in Romantic Relationships – An Indian Perspective.
Authors: Sirohi, Akansha (AUTHOR), Wilkin, Holley (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Sex Research. Jul2026, Vol. 63 Issue 6, p927-945. 19p.
Subjects: Sexual consent, Sexual assault, Young adults, Romantic love, Women's empowerment, Social attitudes, Sex education
Geographic Terms: India
Abstract: The conceptualization of sexual violence and consent varies across cultures, but previous research has focused primarily on high-income countries. Less is known about perceptions of sexual consent and its role in romantic relationships in middle- to lower-income countries. The current study explored how young adults in India – in the absence of formal sex education programs and with sex being a socially taboo subject – learn about sex and consent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 young adults (male = 15, female = 17) between the ages of 18 and 28. A thematic analysis was conducted to find recurring themes and sub-themes in the data. Findings highlighted how young adults perceive sexual consent, the role of consent communication in adults' exercising sexual agency, and the consequences of disregarding consent for individuals' health and their relationships. Participants offered varied definitions of consent, including binary (yes/no) definitions, those shaped by past experiences of sexual violence, and those illustrating a deeper understanding of consent. Furthermore, participants described that sexual consent is important for establishing trust and comfort in romantic relationships, deeming it necessary for a healthy relationship and the health of both partners. The findings of this study provided insight into how young adults perceive sexual consent and how these perceptions are shaped in the Indian context. This knowledge can be used to develop culturally tailored interventions and advocate for sexual education programs to promote ethical sexual behaviors and reduce sexual violence in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 194783161
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and Its Role in Romantic Relationships – An Indian Perspective.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sirohi%2C+Akansha%22">Sirohi, Akansha</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wilkin%2C+Holley%22">Wilkin, Holley</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Sex+Research%22">Journal of Sex Research</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 63 Issue 6, p927-945. 19p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+consent%22">Sexual consent</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+assault%22">Sexual assault</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+adults%22">Young adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Romantic+love%22">Romantic love</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Women's+empowerment%22">Women's empowerment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+attitudes%22">Social attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+education%22">Sex education</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22India%22">India</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The conceptualization of sexual violence and consent varies across cultures, but previous research has focused primarily on high-income countries. Less is known about perceptions of sexual consent and its role in romantic relationships in middle- to lower-income countries. The current study explored how young adults in India – in the absence of formal sex education programs and with sex being a socially taboo subject – learn about sex and consent. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 young adults (male = 15, female = 17) between the ages of 18 and 28. A thematic analysis was conducted to find recurring themes and sub-themes in the data. Findings highlighted how young adults perceive sexual consent, the role of consent communication in adults' exercising sexual agency, and the consequences of disregarding consent for individuals' health and their relationships. Participants offered varied definitions of consent, including binary (yes/no) definitions, those shaped by past experiences of sexual violence, and those illustrating a deeper understanding of consent. Furthermore, participants described that sexual consent is important for establishing trust and comfort in romantic relationships, deeming it necessary for a healthy relationship and the health of both partners. The findings of this study provided insight into how young adults perceive sexual consent and how these perceptions are shaped in the Indian context. This knowledge can be used to develop culturally tailored interventions and advocate for sexual education programs to promote ethical sexual behaviors and reduce sexual violence in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Sex Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194783161
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/00224499.2026.2613212
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 927
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Sexual consent
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual assault
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Young adults
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Romantic love
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Women's empowerment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: India
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Young Adults' Perceptions of Sexual Consent and Its Role in Romantic Relationships – An Indian Perspective.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sirohi, Akansha
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Wilkin, Holley
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00224499
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 63
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Sex Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1