“I Call Bullshit—His Mrs Probably Found Out He Cheated and This Was His Way Out of It”: A Thematic Analysis of Online Comments Surrounding a Man’s Allegation of Being Forced to Penetrate a Women Without His Consent

While the understanding of male-on-female sexual offending is fast developing, research on female-on-male ‘forced-to-penetrate’ (FTP) sexual crimes remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by examining the perceptions of online commenters on a genuine trial where a man alleged that he was forced to penetrate a woman without his consent. Furthermore, our study aims to examine the extent to which user comments may serve to reinforce or challenge gendered assumptions and rape mythology. To do this, 250 micro-blogs were collected and analysed from social media comments responding to a 2022 forced-to-penetrate case. Thematic analysis identified three key themes relating to the varied perceptions and discourses among online user commenters to one alleged instance of FTP between an adult male complainant and adult female defendant: (1) Unreliable and unworthy victim-survivors, (2) Support for male forced-to-penetrate victim-survivors, and (3) Responses to legal frameworks and definitions. User comments in response to this specific case often centred around a perceived lack of victim credibility, serving to reinforce attitudes that minimise, delegitimise and discredit adult male victim-survivors forced to penetrate adult female perpetrators. Overall, our findings assess the need for legal reform concerning definitions of rape to include forced-to-penetrate cases in an effort to enhance social and legal recognition, reduce stigma and encourage victim disclosure.