What happens after a woman says “no”? It doesn’t always begin with force. Sometimes it starts with repeated requests, false promises or being taken somewhere private. A new study has shed light on 36 reported tactics used to pressure women into unwanted sex, suggesting that coercion often operates through manipulation and persistence rather than physical violence alone.
Published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence in April 2026, the research analysed anonymous survey responses from 2,689 men aged 18 to 34 in the United States and Canada. Researchers focused on self-reported behaviours used to pursue sex despite knowing that the woman involved did not want it and had not given consent.
The findings suggest that psychological pressure and calculated manipulation were commonly reported alongside more overt forms of force.
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Study identifies 36 reported strategies
The researchers examined 36 strategies that had emerged from earlier formative research. Every tactic was reported by at least some participants.
As per the report, among those surveyed, 95.1% said that they had recently used at least one strategy to try to obtain sex from a woman despite knowing she had not consented. According to participants’ own accounts, 65% of those reported incidents resulted in the woman being forced or coerced into sex.
On average, respondents reported using nearly nine different strategies over their lifetime.
Deception, repeated pressure and isolation among common methods
The most reported strategy was “Told her whatever she wanted to hear,” cited by 78.1% of the 2,557 men who disclosed a history of forced or coerced sex.
Other frequently reported tactics included “Asked her repeatedly to have sex” (48.6%), “Had a friend, partner, or group of friends help you get what you want” (46.6%), “Had a female friend around to make the woman feel safe and convince her” (43.8%), “Told her you knew she wanted it” (39.3%), “Focused on a stranger to have sex with (or someone who did not know you)” (37.9%), “Had a female friend bring her to you” (37.6%) and “Got her away from everyone to somewhere private and under your control” (37.5%).
Researchers noted that many of these strategies relied on repeated verbal pressure, isolation or social influence rather than immediate physical violence.
Why did participants say they used these tactics?
When asked why they continued despite knowing a woman did not want sex, the most common reasons were “Feeling sexually aroused” (38%) and “Seeing an opportunity arise” (28%).
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The study also found that men who believed they were better than others their age at “getting what they want sexually from women” were more likely to report using aggressive tactics.
Another finding was that 70% of participants reported experiencing no negative consequences after these incidents. Researchers said that examining how perpetrators explain and interpret their own behaviour can help inform future prevention efforts.
The study concluded by saying that understanding coercive behaviour requires looking beyond physical force, reinforcing that consent must always be voluntary and freely given, not obtained through pressure, persistence or manipulation.
FAQs:
What is sexual coercion, and how is it different from physical force?
Sexual coercion involves pressuring or manipulating someone into sex without freely given consent and can occur without physical violence.
What did the 2026 study reveal about tactics used to pressure women into sex?
The study identified 36 reported strategies, including deception, repeated pressure, isolation and social manipulation, based on anonymous self-reports from participants.