Do you know stealthing? This is a form of sexual assault which consists of removing the condom during sexual intercourse without the consent of the other partner. A practice which is unfortunately far too widespread and which could be associated, according to researchers, with certain psychological traits.
Beware of narcissistic and Machiavellian individuals
For this study, scientists analyzed the profiles of 221 participants, recruited through social networks and Amazon’s MTurk site.
Candidates had to be of legal age, male and have had sexual intercourse within the last six months. They must have also used a condom recently.
Participants then provided information online about their alcohol consumption and criminal history.
Then, the researchers looked at their personality traits via the scale called the “Short Dark Triad.” Their use of condoms was also assessed using a grid, called “Condom Use Resistance Perpetration”.
This is how they discovered that individuals whose character traits were similar to “Machiavellianism”, “narcissism” and “psychopathy” were more likely to remove their condom during a sexual act.
“Individuals who were aroused by “stealthing” scenarios and who reported a behavioral history of “stealthing” scored significantly higher on Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy compared to those who were not aroused by or did not report a behavioral history of “stealthing,” reveals the study.
But the researchers specify that “Future research on the relationship between other personality traits and stealthing is needed to complete the assessment and treatment of perpetrators of this type of sexual violence.”.
In France, stealthing is not punished
While stealthing is considered sexual assault by the vast majority of French people, it is not yet punishable by French law.
Indeed, this type of assault can be contested – it is not considered rape by French law and can therefore be dismissed.
A disaster, given the figures collected: in France, nearly one in ten women are victims of unauthorized condom removal.
Abroad, things are very different: stealthing is already classified as a crime. In Switzerland and New Zealand, for example, men who removed their condoms without consent have already been convicted of rape.