Violence

Open Access: No.

Abstract

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) can occur in dating relationships during youth and early adulthood, often going unnoticed compared to other types of violence. The objectives were to identify behaviors that young people perceive as IPSV, and to describe the factors associated with perpetration and victimization of dating violence. A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted among male and female university students of 15 degree programs at a public university in northern Spain (2020). Seventeen semi-structured individual interviews and four focus groups (FGs) were conducted. Three main data categories were identified: IPSV as a non-consensual sexual practice, factors associated with IPSV, and the role of pornography and alcohol or drugs. IPSV was associated with acts of subjugation or coercion aimed at forcing unwanted sexual practices. This form of violence has a multicausal origin, arising from the interaction of personal and social factors, as well as the characteristics of the aggressor, and the influence of education and the socio-family environment. Pornography, often portraying very violent dynamics, and alcohol and drugs, which lead to disinhibition, were also directly associated with IPSV, especially its perpetration.

Relevance

For young people, “pornography is often perceived as reflecting real life, particularly by individuals who are not yet old enough or mentally mature enough to distinguish fiction from reality. Early exposure can shape adolescents’ initial models of sexual behavior, as access to such content occurs increasingly at younger ages.”

Because pornography “includes highly violent dynamics,” young people see pornography as connected to intimate-partner sexual violence and therefore believe “that access to this type of content should be restricted” since “Pornography also creates and reinforces a culture in which violence against women is permitted, objectifying and dehumanizing.”

Citation

Llano-Suárez, A., Lana, A., & Fernández-Feito, A. (2026). Intimate partner sexual violence in young people: a qualitative study. Journal of Youth Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2026.2618062