For the study, the researchers analysed the attitudes of 35 boys and girls between 14-16 years of age, who had gone to clinics for contraception in areas with high teenage pregnancy rates.

In fact, a large number of boys use aggressive language when talking about relationships, the study found.

And if a girlfriend is being too promiscuous, many boys have admitted that they would not mind harming her, the shocking study has found.

However, when it came to girls, they were found to have an upper hand in the awareness of the complex nature of relationships.

“The young men appeared to follow behaviour patterns including pressurising girls to have sex and thought using tactics like getting a girl drunk were acceptable. Some even suggested a girlfriend who slept around would probably pay a physical price,” The Mirror quoted Dr Mark Hayter, part of the team from Sheffield University, as saying.

He added: “When the question of force was raised in one of the groups, the boys started trying to differentiate between ‘just a bit of pressure’ and ‘proper rape’.”

The researchers said that in the study, both the boys and girls were given a series of scenarios to discuss.