Mental health articles

Hooking Up and Anonymous Sex Once considered a moral transgression, especially for women, single sexual encounters with a stranger or brief acquaintance are increasingly common among college students. Th ough defi nitions vary considerably, “hooking up”typically involves two people attending a party and sharing a mutual attraction, fl irting, and advancing to unplanned kissing, petting, sometimes oral sex, and oft en intercourse. Alcohol and other drugs are usually involved, and precautions (e.g., condoms) are seldom or inconsistently used. During the event there is little verbal communication. Hooking up can be seen as an expression of sexual freedom and selfdetermination, but numerous outcomes can mar the experience. Females are more likely than males to feel regret, shame, and self-blame for not having known the partner and for having no further contact with him (Paul & Hayes, 2002). Th ough they know hookups do not lead to relationships, they oft en hope they will and so later feel vulnerable and compromised. Males are more likely to later celebrate and brag to friends, though they may regret the experience if the woman is subsequently deemed unattractive or promiscuous. Counselors can help students address the loss of potential relationships, damage to selfconcept, male aggression or coercion (sometimes with date rape drugs), and the negative eff ects of alcohol and other drugs. Counseling also aff ords an opportunity for students to explore the motivations and consequences of their behaviors.