Is “Stealthing” Sexual Aggression? Perceptions,Experiences,and Motives Within a Spanish Sample

Abstract

Nonconsensual condom removal (NCCR), colloquially known as “stealthing,” is increasingly conceptualized as a violation of bodily autonomy, yet little empirical research has examined how gender socialization shapes the interpretation of this phenomenon. This study addresses this gap by investigating gender differences in exposure rates, perceived severity, and motivational attributions regarding stealthing within a sample of the population residing in Spain. The study is specifically situated within the country’s recent legislative shifts regarding sexual consent. Using a cross-sectional design, a community sample of 437 participants completed an online survey assessing direct and indirect victimization experiences and evaluating a hypothetical scenario of NCCR. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann–Whitney U tests for ordinal motivational scales. The results revealed a profound gender gap: women reported an exposure rate more than double that of men and were significantly more likely to classify the act unequivocally as sexual aggression. Regarding the aggressor’s intent, a “hedonistic consensus” emerged, with both genders attributing the behavior to sexual pleasure. However, a critical dissonance was found regarding coercive traits; women significantly endorsed motivations related to power, control, and the manipulation of consent, whereas men minimized these factors, viewing the act through a lens of sexual entitlement rather than violence. These findings support theories of rape myth acceptance and suggest that while women decode stealthing as a threat to safety, a significant portion of men fails to recognize the inherent coercion. Implications for violence prevention emphasize the urgent need for gender-specific interventions that challenge the normalization of deceit in sexual interactions and reframe condom negotiation as a nonnegotiable component of consent.