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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

The effects of access to porn on teenagers

9 replies

badtasteflump · 14/03/2013 13:41

Not sure if this is the right place for this question - I have been discussing this elsewhere (hope that doesn't go against MN rules etc).

I want to get hold of some good, reliable literature which clearly explains the above. My teen son and I have locked horns on this issue and I want to have some facts at hand (that he will hopefully have a look at too) to back up my arguments, which are pretty foggy to be honest.

Any help appreciated - sorry if wrong place to post Smile

OP posts:
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AbigailAdams · 14/03/2013 14:08

Gail Dines - Pornland: How porn has hijacked our sexuality is good on this.

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badtasteflump · 14/03/2013 14:17

Thank you Smile. I will look into that.

OP posts:
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BelaLugosisShed · 14/03/2013 18:23

There is a website - your brain on porn .com ( I think) explaining how the effects of regular porn use actually changes a teenager's brain, really concerning stuff. Sad

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KRITIQ · 16/03/2013 00:03

Here are a few links that might be helpful. There's more research out there, but much of it behind paywalls.

Flood, M. 2009. "The Harms of Pornography Exposure Among Children and Young People." CHILD ABUSE REVIEW. Vol. 18, p.p. 384?400.

p. 395 "This review has noted a range of identifiable harms associated with exposure to pornography among children and young people. We must minimise exposure to sexist and violent sexual media and improve the kinds of sexual materials available to young people, without sacrificing sexual speech in general."

Foubert, J.D., Brosi, M.W. and Bannon, R.S. 2011. " Pornography Viewing among Fraternity Men: Effects on Bystander Intervention, Rape Myth Acceptance and Behavioral Intent to Commit Sexual Assault", SEXUAL ADDICTION AND COMPULSIVITY, Vol. 18, No. 4, p.p. 212-231/

pg 227 ". . . this study showed the strong link between men?s viewing pornography and behavioral intent to commit sexual assault. Furthermore, when men view sadomasochistic and rape pornography, their danger to females increases concurrently. Using these two types of pornography makes men significantly more likely to report intent to rape, stronger beliefs in rape myths, a decreased willingness to intervene in a potential sexual assault, and a lower sense of efficacy about intervening in a potential sexual assault situation."

Maas, M. 2010. "The Influence of Internet Pornography on College Students: An Empirical Analysis of Attitudes, Affect and Sexual Behavior." MCNAIR'S SCHOLARS JOURNAL. Vol. 11, p.p. 137-150.

pg 144-145 ". . . participants who used more pornography had more positive attitudes toward sexual assault, more negative attitudes toward women, more sexual partners, and were less distressed by a partner?s pornography use. Although it cannot be concluded that pornography use caused these outcomes, this research and other research suggests that pornography is a significant contributor to these outcomes. Moreover, the current research implies that pornography could be negatively impacting people despite their age or gender. That is, even though the sample in the present study was 80% female and the average participant was 21 years old, negative effects were still exhibited. This result suggests that young women, who are repeatedly exposed to pornography, and the degradation and objectification of women that is inherent in it, may be influenced by these themes and, therefore, may develop more negative attitudes toward themselves as individuals and women as a whole."

[[http://soc.haifa.ac.il/~gustavo/pornography.pdf Mesch, G. 2009 SOCIA: BONDS AND INTERNET PORNOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE AMONGST ADOLESCENTS. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Center for the Study of Society, University of Haifa, Har Hacarmel 31905, Israel (and
Journal of Adolescence (impact factor: 2.05). 09/2008; 32(3):601-18.) ]]

pg 25 ". . . adolescents using the Internet for pornography appear less socially integrated and more socially marginal. They express less commitment to their families, less pro-social attitudes, and less attachment to school than their fellows who do not use the Internet for that purpose.

Owens, E. W., Behun, R.J., Manning, J.C. and Reid, R.C. 2012. "The Impact of Internet Pornography on Adolescents: A Review of the Research, Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity/" THE JOURNAL OF TREATMENT & PREVENTION, Vol. 19, No. 1-2, p.p. 99-122.

p.p. 116-117 "Collectively, these studies suggest that youth who consume pornography may develop unrealistic sexual values and beliefs. Among the findings, higher levels of permissive sexual attitudes, sexual preoccupation, and earlier sexual experimentation have been correlated with more frequent consumption of pornography . . . consistent findings have emerged linking adolescent use of pornography that depicts violence with increased degrees of sexually aggressive behavior. Girls report feeling physically inferior to the women they view in pornographic material, while boys fear they may not be as virile or able to perform as the men in these media. Adolescents also report that their use of pornography decreased as their self-confidence and social development increase."

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HairyHandedTrucker · 16/03/2013 04:13

from a non educational point of view you may wish to mention that women don't enjoy moves acted out by men in porn films and that he is effectively learning to be shit at sex

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KRITIQ · 17/03/2013 15:25

Just bumping this in case the OP can't find it in the swamp of zombie threads!

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SolidGoldBrass · 18/03/2013 01:24

There isn't, actually, any conclusive evidence of any effects, partly because behavioural psychology is a junk science, based on conjecture and prejudice, but mainly because it's impossible to isolate a single cause of an individual's state of mind and behaviour on any given occasion.

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Creeping · 20/03/2013 00:04

SGB, you seem to equate "conclusive evidence of any effects" with isolating a single cause, which is nonsense. Something can have an effect on behaviour even if it is not the only thing contributing to that behaviour. Furthermore, while some of the studies mentioned above show correlations between porn watching and behaviour/attitudes, which is not necessarily evidence of causal relationship, others have used experimental methods, which is stronger evidence of causality, a relationship that is valid even it is not the only contributing factor to those behaviours/attitudes.

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Writehand · 23/03/2013 19:48

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