Rough Sex
A Conceptual and Empirical Review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24029222 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Debby Herbenick (0000-0002-0352-2248, Indiana University Bloomington, corresponding author), Emily F Galper (0000-0002-7986-1107, Indiana University Bloomington) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-22 |
| Publication date | 2026-08-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Sex Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4499 • E-ISSN: 1559-8519 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00224499.2026.2713726 |
| OpenAlex | W7203614343 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 142 |
Sexual practices commonly known as “rough sex” have become prevalent among adolescents and people in the first few decades of adulthood. Some (e.g. sexual “choking” and smothering) pose serious health risks. The increased prevalence of rough sex has presented new challenges to sexuality educators who now often field questions from young people about these sexual practices – sometimes to the shock and upset of parents and community members. Clinicians, too, have observed more marks and bruises on their patients, which have often been attributed to rough sex. Young people report having first learned, as adolescents, about rough sex from pornography, social media, and mainstream media, urging conversations about media and policy. How might social, behavioral, and public health research inform education, intervention, and policy related to these sexual practices? In this article, we first describe the conceptual challenges of defining “rough sex” and “consensual rough sex” and then use data from multiple countries to describe the prevalence and demographic correlates of rough sex generally as well as for specific practices that fall under this umbrella term. Then, we review research on the health consequences of certain rough sex practices, how people report having learned about rough sex, their reasons for engaging in it, their lived experiences with rough sex, and the relationship between rough sex and partner violence. Finally, we discuss implications for health and safety, sexuality education, clinical care, violence prevention, and policy; identify limitations of the existing research on rough sex; and suggest priorities for subsequent research and interventions.
Conceptual model · Empirical research · Field (mathematics) · Human sexuality · Mainstream · Public health · Reproductive health · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Sex work and related issues · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
Sexual diversity in the United States
Non-fatal Strangulation is an Important Risk Factor for Homicide of Women
Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use
Minimising the Risk
Pornography Consumption and Sexual Choking
“It Was Scary, But Then It Was Kind of Exciting”
Frequency, Method, Intensity, and Health Sequelae of Sexual Choking Among U.S. Undergraduate and Graduate Students
ChokeMeDaddy
Prevalence of Sexual Strangulation/Choking Among Australian 18–35 Year-Olds
Consent Norms in the BDSM Community
What Is Rough Sex, Who Does It, and Who Likes It? Findings from a Probability Sample of U.S. Undergraduate Students
Learning from pornography
Challenging ‘the elephant in the room’
Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Rough Sex Behaviors Among Adolescents Ages 14 to 17
Consent is a grey area? A comparison of understandings of consent in Fifty Shades of Grey and on the BDSM blogosphere
“I Knew I was Going to Die …”
“Without Porn … I Wouldn't Know Half the Things I Know Now”
Adeline’s desire
Alcohol Use and Unintended Sexual Consequences among Women Attending an Urban Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic
Pragmatic women
Perspectives on condom breakage
Mass Media Effects on Youth Sexual Behavior Assessing the Claim for Causality
We watch porn for the fucking, not for romantic tiptoeing’
Pornography as a cultural resource for constructing and expressing gendered sexual subjectivities among students in a co-educational boarding school
What types of pornographic content are people using? A mixed-method analysis that highlights differences by gender and relationship context of use
The Mainstream Cult of Fifty Shades of Grey
Exploring Educational Messages About Sexual Choking
What Do Young, Canadian, Straight and LGBTQ Men and Women Learn About Sex and from Whom
Research in brief
Worse Than Objects
The Normalization of Violence during Sex among Young Mozambicans Reportedly under the Influence of Pornography
Traces of Pornography
You Feel Like Normal Sex is not Enough Anymore”
Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos
The failed promise of consent in women's experiences of coercive and unwanted anal sex with men
Analyzing Whispers
Preventing Sexual Violence on Campus in the U.S
The Inconvenience of Heterosex
Pornography, Alcohol, and Male Sexual Dominance
A Comparison of Male and Female Directors in Popular Pornography
From Orgasms to Spanking
Gender Differences in Playful Aggression During Courtship in College Students
A Systematic Scoping Review of the Prevalence, Etiological, Psychological, and Interpersonal Factors Associated with BDSM
Is “Rough Sex” a Thing? A Survey of Meaning
Experiences with Rough Sex Among Autistic University Students
The Rise of Spanking, Hitting, and Strangulation
Behind Closed Doors
Harder and Harder”? Is Mainstream Pornography Becoming Increasingly Violent and Do Viewers Prefer Violent Content
Choking on TikTok
Aggression and Pleasure in Opposite-Sex and Same-Sex Mainstream Online Pornography
Let’s Talk About Sex(ual Health)
Fantasy Made Flesh - A Network Analysis of the Reciprocal Relationship between Sexual Fantasies, Pornography Usage, and Sexual Behavior
Gender (In)equality in Internet Pornography
Sexual violence as a sexual script in mainstream online pornography
Physical, Behavioral, and Psychological Traits of Gay Men Identifying as Bears
Experiences and Perceptions of Risk Among Australian Men Who Have Sex with Men Who Engage in Sexual Strangulation
Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of “Rough Sex” Behaviors
What Is Normal?”
Sexual Compulsivity and Sexual Risk in Gay and Bisexual Men
Shibari
A Descriptive Analysis of the Types, Targets, and Relative Frequency of Aggression in Mainstream Pornography
Sensual, Erotic, and Sexual Behaviors of Women from the “Kink” Community
Sexual scripts
Choking/Strangulation During Sex
The Prevalence of Using Pornography for Information About How to Have Sex
Associations Between Contents of Pornography and Sexual Satisfaction and Function Among Young Adults
Sources of Learning about Sexual Choking and Their Associations with Perceived Safety and Risk
Navigating Consent in the Context of Sexual Choking/Strangulation
Big data on pornhub insights
It’s Almost Boring When It Should Be Enjoyable and Fun
Deconstructing ‘Rough Sex’ in a New Zealand Murder Trial
Strangulation During Sex Among Undergraduate Students in Australia
We’re All Still Learning About How to Talk About Porn
The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates since the Great Recession
Making epistemic citizens
Queerying consent
Vanilla normies and fellow pervs
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |