Men with a strong sense of entitlement are three times more likely to commit “stealthing” during sex, according to a new University of the Sunshine Coast study.
Stealthing, which has been criminalised in most Australian states over the past five years, is a form of sexual violence that involves the removal of a condom before or during sex without a partner’s knowledge or consent.
The latest survey of the attitudes of more than 100 men builds on a growing body of UniSC-led research into the psychology behind the physically and mentally harmful behaviour known scientifically as Non-Consensual Condom Removal (NCCR).
Evidence suggests that 8 to 32 percent of women and 5 to 19 percent of men have experienced it.
Clinical psychologist and lead researcher Dr Andrew Allen said the study identified two deeply held belief patterns that could predict men’s intention to “stealth”.
“The first was a sense of entitlement or grandiosity, in other words believing that rules don’t apply to you; and men who showed this pattern were more than three times more likely to report arousal and intent to engage in stealthing,” Dr Allen said.
“The second was punitiveness, or the tendency to punish others for not complying with your wishes, which is associated with lacking empathy and being judgemental.
“We anticipated the entitlement finding but the role of punitiveness – suggesting that some men may be drawn to NCCR as a form of retaliation against a partner – has not been documented previously.
“On the flip side, the study found that men with greater confidence in condom use were less likely to commit NCCR. This suggests that practical sexual health skills may lower the risk factors and increase safety for partners.”
Dr Allen said the first-of-its-kind exploratory study built on larger research with the same collaborators from UniSC and the Cairnmillar Institute in Victoria.
“We previously found links between narcissism, psychopathy and stealthing,” he said. “Basically, all of these traits reinforce a consistent picture of self-serving beliefs and disregard for a partner’s autonomy increasing the risk of offending.”
Findings are published in a 2026 paper in the Psychology, Crime and Law journal, and a 2024 paper in Psychology and Sexuality journal.
Dr Allen is a member of UniSC’s Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit and director of the UniSC Psychology Clinic .
“Further studies are vital because relatively little is known about the psychological factors behind this crime,” he said.
“It not only violates consent but also exposes victims to sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and lasting emotional harm.”
He said the findings already had direct clinical relevance.
“Psychological treatment programs could specifically address these two cognitive patterns, while community prevention efforts could include them in consent education and challenges to unhealthy gender norms.”
Queensland made stealthing illegal in September 2024.
Survey
People
The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and non-consensual condom removal in an Australian sample
12-Mar-2026
Nil