Psychological and Forensic Challenges Regarding Youth Consumption of Pornography: A Narrative Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Image quality: New pornography is based on high-quality recordings that are constantly improving in image quality.
- Affordable: New pornography is widely affordable and most of it is completely free.
- Accessible: There is a wide and unlimited offering, which can be accessed without restrictions and which can be seen from any device.
- Unlimited sexual content: Sexual practices displayed in “new pornography” have no limits, including risky sexual practices or even illegal ones.
2. Methods
- Research (either empirical or non-empirical but excluding doctoral dissertations) exploring pornography consumption in adolescent and young population
- Research examining the association between pornography consumption in youth and the social, sexual, and psychological consequences
- Studies investigating the association between pornography consumption in youth and the legal or forensic implications
3. Results
3.1. Social and Psychological Problems Associated with Pornography Consumption in Adolescents
3.1.1. Pornography Addiction
3.1.2. Hypersexualization and Hypersexuality
3.1.3. Ritualization or Distortion of Interpersonal and Sexual Relationships
3.2. Forensic Implications and Challenges Associated with Pornography Consumption in Youth
3.2.1. Pornography Consumption and Paraphilias
3.2.2. Sexual Aggression Perpetration and Victimization
3.2.3. Sexting and Other Forms of Online Sexual Victimization
4. Discussion and Conclusions
Limitations
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Citation | Year | Country | Type of Article | N (% of Women) | Age Range | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ballester, L., Orte, C., and Pozo, R. [5] | 2014 | Spain | E | 37 (43.2) | 16–22 ** | Online porn consumption can have an influence on the sexual attitudes, moral values, and the sexual activity of youth. |
Ballester, L., Orte, C., and Pozo, R. [1] | 2019 | Spain | NE | - | 16–22 ** | Males consume more pornography. Porn consumption is associated with the ritualization of sexuality and greater violent sexual practices. |
Barroso, L. and Sanjuán, C. [13] | 2020 | Spain | E | 1680 | 14–17 | Pornography use in adolescents has been linked to risky sexual practices, emulation of porn videos in real life, violent sexual behavior, online grooming, and sexting. |
Bonino, S., Ciairano, S., Rabaglietti, E., and Cattelino, E. [14] | 2006 | Italy | E | 804 (42) | 12–19 | Pornography consumption is associated with sexual violence (both active and passive) and unwanted sex. |
Burbano, M. V. T., and Brito, J. P. S. [8] | 2019 | Ecuador | E | 50 (-) | 12–14 | Online porn consumption can have an influence on the sexual attitudes, moral values, and the sexual activity of youth. |
de Alarcón, R., de la Iglesia, J. I., Casado, N. M., and Montejo, A. L. [15] | 2019 | Spain | NE | - | - | Pornography consumption has an addictive potential, considering the Triple A influence. Problematic use of pornography might have adverse effects on sexual development and functionality, especially amongst youth. |
Echeburúa, E. [16] | 2012 | Spain | NE | - | - | One of the most frequent behaviors associated with sex addiction is pornography consumption. |
Efrati, Y., and Gola, M. [17] | 2018 | Israel | E | 1.182 (57.7) 618 (44.8) | 14–18 | Adolescents who present compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) have a higher frequency of pornography use and more sex-related online activities, among other characteristic features. |
Esquit, L and Alvarado, Y. [18] | 2016 | Guatemala | E | 30 (33) | 13–17 | Pornography impacts psychosexual development and contributes to the distortion of intimate partner relationships (by contributing to the normalization of pathological sexual behavior). |
Fagan, P. F. [19] | 2009 | USA | NE | - | - | Pornography is a visual representation of sexuality, which distorts the concept of intimate partner relationships, and alters sexual attitudes and sexual behavior. |
Farré et al. [20] | 2019 | Spain | E | 1500 (55.5) | 14–18 | Direct association between pornography use and risky sexual behaviors (unprotected sex, contraception, sex after alcohol and substances) in an adolescent sample. Exposure to pornography may affect psychosexual development in adolescents. Pornography could lead to more permissive sexual values. |
Garrido, M.F [21] | 2015 | Brazil | NE | - | - | Internet access and globalization have triggered a massive consumption of pornography, which, in turn, can result in addiction problems. |
Judge, A. M. [22] | 2012 | USA | NE | - | 12–19 | Relationship between sexting and the creation and distribution of online child pornography. |
Karila, L., Wéry, A., Weinstein, A., Cottencin, O., Petit, A., Reynaud, M., and Billieux, J. [23] | 2014 | USA | NE | - | - | Pornography consumption is a frequent and idiosyncratic behavior of sexual addiction or of hypersexual disorder. |
Ledesma, D. F. [24] | 2017 | Mexico | NE | - | - | Addiction to online pornography shares similar mechanisms with other traditional addictions (such as drug abuse). Abuse of pornography results in negative brain effects. |
Owens, E; Behun, R; Manning, J and Reid, R [25] | 2012 | EEUU | NE | - | 10–22 | Young people who consume more pornography have more permissive sexual attitudes, unrealistic sexual beliefs and values, and even increased degrees of sexually aggressive behavior. |
Peter J. and Valkenburg P. M. [26] | 2008 | Netherlands | E | 2343 (-) | 13–20 | Exposure to sexually explicit material is associated with greater sexual uncertainty in teens. |
Peter, J., and Valkenburg, P. M. [3] | 2016 | Netherlands | NE | - | 10–17 | Use of pornography was associated with more permissive sexual attitudes and stereotyped gender inequality thoughts. It was also associated with an increase in sexual aggression and high-risk sexual practices. |
Peter, J., and Valkenburg, P. M. [27] | 2009 | Netherlands | E | 962 | 13–20 | Exposure to sexually explicit material is associated with the perception of women as sexual objects. |
Prause, N., Steele, V. R., Staley, C., Sabatinelli, D., and Hajcak, G. [28] | 2015 | USA | E | 122 (29.5) | (M = 24.4, SD = 4.9) | Consumption of pornography is the most frequently reported hypersexual behavior. |
Rothman EF, Kaczmarsky C, Burke N, Jansen E, Baughman A. [29] | 2015 | USA | E | 23 (40) | 16–18 | Adolescents reported copying sexual practices that they see in pornography during their own sexual encounters. Furthermore, they reported pressure to imitate pornography as an element of unhealthy intimate partner relationships. |
Sánchez Zaldívar, S., and Iruarrizaga Díez, I. [9] | 2009 | Spain | NE | - | - | The two most frequent types of internet addiction are cybersex and porn. Pornography consumption facilitates and can trigger the appearance of voyeurism. |
Stanley N, Barter C, Wood M, Aghtaie N, Larkins C, Lanau A, Överlien C. [30] | 2018 | United Kingdom | E | 4564 (-) | 14–17 | Pornography consumption was associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in sexting. Furthermore, youth with a regular consumption of porn showed greater negative attitudes towards gender. Finally, sexual coercion and abuse carried out by minors was significantly associated with a regular consumption of online porn. |
Svedin, C. G., Akerman, I., and Priebe, G. [31] | 2011 | Sweden | E | 4026 (52.8) | 18 | Frequent consumption of pornography has been associated with many behavioral problems, and adolescent males who consumed pornography with greater frequency showed having greater sexual desire. |
Vandenbosch, L., and Eggermont, S. (2013) | 2013 | Belgium | E | 911 (89) | 15 | Sexually explicit content or online pornography contributes to the internalization of body image ideals amongst male teenagers. |
Villalobos, O. S., and Díaz, V. C. [32] | 2017 | Spain | NE | - | - | Problematic use of online pornography and online sexual activity is associated with sexual problems. |
Voon, V., Mole, T. B., Banca, P., Porter, L., Morris, L., Mitchell, S., Lapa, T. R., Karr, J., Harrison, N. A., Potenza, M. N., and Irvine, M. [33] | 2014 | United Kingdom | E | 38 (0) | 19–25 | Significant findings of brain activity correlations when examining the relationship between pornography consumption and compulsive sexual behavior. |
Weber, M., Quiring, O., and Daschmann, G. [4] | 2012 | Germany | E | 352 (41) | 16–19 | Consumption of pornography associated with earlier sexual intercourse and more varied sexual practices. |
Wood, M., Barter, C., Stanley, N., Aghtaie, N., and Larkins, C. [34] | 2015 | United Kingdom | E | 4564 (-) | 14–17 | Teens who reported victimization behaviors in their relationships showed higher probabilities of having sent a sext. |
Ybarra, M. L., and Mitchell, K. J. [35] | 2005 | USA | E | 1501 (-) | 10–17 | Minors who reported intentional exposure to pornography were significantly more likely to report criminal behaviors, drug use, and depression. Pornography consumption was associated with a higher likelihood of perpetrating sexual aggressions in males, and of being sexually victimized in females. |
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Gassó, A.M.; Bruch-Granados, A. Psychological and Forensic Challenges Regarding Youth Consumption of Pornography: A Narrative Review. Adolescents 2021, 1, 108-122. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1020009
Gassó AM, Bruch-Granados A. Psychological and Forensic Challenges Regarding Youth Consumption of Pornography: A Narrative Review. Adolescents. 2021; 1(2):108-122. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1020009
Chicago/Turabian StyleGassó, Aina M., and Anna Bruch-Granados. 2021. "Psychological and Forensic Challenges Regarding Youth Consumption of Pornography: A Narrative Review" Adolescents 1, no. 2: 108-122. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1020009