One study that asked respondents about their sexual fantasies found that one of the two most popular things they dreamt about was rough sex. Regardless of gender or sexual orientation, the majority of people seem to have been attracted to the concept at some point.
The popularity of rough sex is also evident in the way that people watch porn. For instance, if you look at the genres that receive the most views on Pornhub, “rough sex” and “hardcore” are in the top three categories year after year. It’s interesting to note that women watch this type of porn even more frequently than men do.
Why, Then, Does Rough Sex Arouse So Many People, Particularly Women?
Some answers are provided by a recent study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.
Researchers polled college students regarding their perspectives on and encounters with consenting rough sex. The majority of students (92%) who identified as straight were female (77%). Scratching, spanking, shoving, name-calling, shredding attire, binding up, blindfolding, and slapping were the most commonly reported rough sex practices, according to the majority of the sample (51%). Before we continue, I should point out that the researchers of this study refer to these acts as “playful force” as opposed to violence or abuse. Remember that these are voluntary actions that, in the majority of cases, took place in the setting of an ongoing relationship and, in less than 1% of cases, caused any form of substantial harm. That is to say, we are not discussing actions where individuals genuinely desired or attempted to harm a partner.
People actually appeared to be enjoying this type of sex. Both men and women responded that orgasms are more prevalent and severe, partners put more effort into satisfying each other, the sex is more exciting, and the pushing is more energetic when asked to compare rough sex to “typical sex.” Additionally, women reported that having rough sex causes them to cum considerably more quickly. Perhaps this is one of the reasons rough sex is so popular and why women look for it more than men when watching porn: rough sex may help close the orgasm gap. Men and women already take quite different amounts of time to reach orgasm (5–6 minutes vs. 13 minutes, respectively).
What Else Can Entice People To Engage In Rough Sex Besides These Orgasm-Enhancing Effects?
To determine if they had ever been encouraged to engage in rough sex, study participants were given a lengthy list of potential triggers. Boredom, attempting something new, and acting out a fantasy were some of the most frequent triggers. This indicates that rough sex frequently serves only to satisfy our desire for sexual novelty. Both men and women are prone to getting weary of sexual routines. The Coolidge Effect is the term used by sex experts to describe the need to constantly switch things up for the purpose of sustaining sexual arousal. Separation from one’s partner and suspicions that one’s partner could have cheated were prominent triggers for rough sex among men. These findings are interpreted by the study’s authors using the same evolutionary framework: sperm competition occurs when men believe their female partner may have slept with someone else.
To put it another way, it causes men to participate in sexual activities such as deep and forceful thrusting that are intended to displace any semen that could have been placed by competing men and increase the likelihood that their own sperm will fertilize. Alcohol consumption was another frequent trigger, thereby rendering sense: Alcohol dulls sexual senses and lowers sexual inhibitions at the same time. In addition to engaging with more intensive activities to combat the depressive effect of alcohol on our sexual physiology (which involves reducing arousal and postponing climax), this combination of circumstances increases your chances of doing something you would typically not undertake while sober.