Rough sex: understanding and responding to harm
Information and guidance on understanding, responding to, and reducing the risks associated with harmful rough sex.
Guidance developed by Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa and The Light Project, August 2026.
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Guidance contents
Introduction
Who this guidance is for and what it covers.
Understanding harmful rough sex
What is rough sex? How do you define it?
Sociocultural contexts
The wider context in which rough sex exists.
Risks and harms
The risks and harms of rough sex to hauora (wellbeing).
Consent, harm recognition, and help-seeking
Consent challenges, harm recognition, and barriers to help-seeking.
Effective engagement
Creating a safe, informed, and mana-enhancing approach to rough sex conversations and care.
Harm prevention and response
Overview of how to respond to harmful rough sex, including harm prevention, harm reduction, and harm management.
Harm prevention
A harm prevention response to rough sex is part of broader sexual wellbeing and safe sex education.
Harm reduction
A harm reduction approach supports young people to build skills, knowledge, and sexual agency around rough sex risks, discuss, reflect, and problem-solve, to help reduce the potential harms associated with rough sex.
Harm management response
Helping practitioners with responding to harmful rough sex experiences.
Support services
Key information and support services related to this guidance.
Download the guidance (PDF)
Rough Sex: Information and guidance on understanding, responding to, and reducing the risks associated with harmful rough sex