It's nothing you didn't know before, but the Psychology of Women Quarterly published a study proving that men who objectify women's bodies are more likely to sexually assault them [via NY Mag.
A survey focusing on 119 males and 162 females (all in heterosexual relationships) found "men who frequently objectify their partner's bodies by excessively focusing on their appearance are more likely to feel shame about the shape and size of their partner's body which in turn is related to increased sexual pressure ... through violence and manipulation."
This pressure is often internalized, the study also showed, which leads to women "feeling shame about their bodies, a decrease in asserting themselves, and a decrease in expressing what they do and do not want to do sexually," making objectification a vicious cycle, quite literally.
Find more results of the study here.
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Tess Koman covers breaking (food) news, opinion pieces, and features on larger happenings in the food world. She oversees editorial content on Delish. Her work has appeared on Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, and Esquire.com.
