Let's talk about sex, rough sex

Interesting insight in that sort of thing. Just so you know, rough sex does not correlate with violence in the relationship or abuse. On the contrary, both men and women often initiate rough sexual behaviors. Rebecca L. Burch and Catherine Salmon have more on

The Rough Stuff: Understanding Aggressive Consensual Sex

While a great deal of research has been done analyzing the prevalence and implications of sexual aggression and sexual violence. Less can be found on the topic of rough sex. In a sample of 734 male and female undergraduates, we examined the extent of rough sexual acts in romantic relationships. This study represents a first step in determining what defines, triggers. and differentiates rough sexual behavior... When asked to define rough sex: most men and women report only slightly aggressive behaviors such as slapping, pulling hair: biting: and being pinned down... Overall, rough sex appears to be a largely recreational and mutually initiated behavior that consists of mild forms of playful aggression and some mildly painful actions.

Interestingly, men also report greater female sexual satisfaction and women report a shorter latency to orgasm during rough sex. This harks back to the appeal of rough sex in the romance novel and other erotica for women: which includes scenarios where the hero engages in forceful or rough sex with the heroine. Such scenarios are also present in other female consumer genres where the focus is on powerful males as the objects of desire. The male’s focus and intensity increases female sexual satisfaction... In addition. playing out a fantasy was a frequently reported trigger for women= echoing the appeal of such scenarios in erotic genres aimed at a female audience... 

Men are far more likely to report sperm competition triggering rough sex; they are more likely to engage in rough sex when they are separated from their partners: when they are suspicious of infidelity: and after they break up with their partners... When men engage in rough sex: they thrust more quickly: deeply: more often: and with greater vigor. Female reports of thrusting corroborate male reports... It is also interesting to note that men also engage in rough sex when in a group sex context: a context where there is obvious sperm competition...The majority of other triggers were focused on curiosity and trying new things or physical play (wrestling)... 

Particularly because of the data indicating that rough sex is a mutually initiated: recreational sexual activity that is triggered by a need for novelty, teasing: and jealousy that does not result in serious injury, rough sex may be a sexual activity between trusting partners in a relationship incorporating jealousy in a consensual, non-hostile (and more instrumental) way that results in greater sexual satisfaction for both parties. 

H/T Rolf Degen