ArticlePDF Available

The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers

Authors:
  • The Reward Foundation

Abstract and Figures

Adolescents are now significant users of internet pornography. Samples of voluntary consumption were identified from 14 countries. Considered collectively they demonstrate that boys are much more interested in viewing pornography than girls and that both genders watch more pornography as they get older. By age 18 most boys are consumers. From a risk management point of view, internet pornography has not been proven to be a safe product. It poses dangers similar to any activity that has a high potential for the development of problematic behaviors or addiction through sustained overconsumption. Until causality linking pornography consumption to harm is either disproven or demonstrated to be very low, there is a strong case for governments and policy makers to intervene in the unrestricted supply of internet pornography to all consumers, particularly adolescents. The precautionary principle should be invoked to minimize the likelihood that internet pornography consumption will become a global public health crisis. Prevention of harm is always preferable to treating it. Reducing risk from internet pornography by discouraging its consumption is relatively inexpensive and easy to do.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Received: May 20, 2016
Revision received: July 15, 2016
Accepted: September 18, 2016
OnlineFirst: December 10, 2016
Copyright © 2016 Turkish Green Crescent Society
ISSN 2148-7286 eISSN 2149-1305
http://addicta.com.tr/en/
DOI 10.15805/addicta.2016.3.0109 Winter 2016 3(3) 387400
Original Article
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
Citation: Mead, D. (2016). The risks young people face as porn consumers. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 3,
387–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2016.3.0109
* ThepreparationofthispaperwassupportedinpartbyYeşilay,theTurkishGreenCrescentSociety.
The views expressed in the paper are those of the author.
Anearlierversionofthepaperwaspresentedatthe“3rdInternationalCongressofTechnologyAddiction,”heldinIstanbul,
Turkey, May 3–4, 2016.
1 Correspondence to: DarrylMead (PhD),The RewardFoundation, TheMelting Pot,5 RoseStreet, Edinburgh,EH2 2PR,
UnitedKingdom.Email:darryl@rewardfoundation.org
2 HonoraryResearchAssociate,DigitalHumanities,InformationStudies,UniversityCollegeLondon.
Abstract
Adolescents are now significant users of internet pornography. Samples of voluntary consumption were
identified from 14 countries. Considered collectively they demonstrate that boys are much more interested
in viewing pornography than girls and that both genders watch more pornography as they get older. By
age 18 most boys are consumers. From a risk management point of view, internet pornography has not
been proven to be a safe product. It poses dangers similar to any activity that has a high potential for the
development of problematic behaviors or addiction through sustained overconsumption. Until causality
linking pornography consumption to harm is either disproven or demonstrated to be very low, there
is a strong case for governments and policy makers to intervene in the unrestricted supply of internet
pornography to all consumers, particularly adolescents. The precautionary principle should be invoked
to minimize the likelihood that internet pornography consumption will become a global public health
crisis. Prevention of harm is always preferable to treating it. Reducing risk from internet pornography by
discouraging its consumption is relatively inexpensive and easy to do.
Keywords
Internet pornography • Adolescents • Risk management • Porn consumption • Precautionary principle
Darryl Mead1,2
The Reward Foundation
The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers*
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
388
There is a paucity of research for understanding the potential harm of internet
pornography to children. In this context, children are considered young people under
the age of 18 years. It is evident that more research is needed to demonstrate if causal
relationshipsexistbetweenconsuming internetpornographyandspecic harmsto
children. With this in mind, the issue becomes how policy makers should proceed
until the uncertainty is resolved.
What We Know about the Number of Children Using Internet Pornography
The market for legal pornography intended for consumption by adults continues to
expand by at least 10% per annum. The world’s largest corporate supplier is Pornhub
Network with 100 million visits per day worldwide, or 87.8 billion video views a year
(Pornhub, 2016). The second largest supplier, Xvideos, claims that it adds 10,000
newvideosperday.Clearly,pornographyisbeingconsumedfromtheinternetona
vast and unprecedented scale.
Commercialinternetpornographysuppliersdonotpubliclyadmitthatconsumers
undertheageof18usetheircontent.Forexample,assuppliersof“adultentertainment”
Pornhub only provides statistics for its consumers over the age of 18 (Pornhub, 2016)
and never mentions younger consumers. A more accurate scale of use is suggested
by research from the U.K.’s DepartmentofCultureMediaandSport(2016), which
found that 1.4 million unique visitors to adult sites in Britain were under the age of
18 during the month of May 2015.
Areviewofrecentjournalliteratureidentied38datasetsforadolescents’voluntary
watchingofinternetpornography.Eachdatasetisrepresentedintheguresbythe
mean age of the viewing group. Figures 1 and 2 provide an international view of
onlinepornographyviewingforbothadolescentboysandgirls.Sourcesofthedata
arecitedinAppendix1forbothgures,alongwithinformationregardingthesizeof
the samples and date of collection.
Figure 1. Adolescent boys voluntarily viewing internet pornography.
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
389
Consideredcollectively,adolescentmalesshowgrowinginterestinviewinginternet
pornography with increasing age. Consumption levels for those aged 15 years in
different countries cluster between 20% and 60%. By the time they approach 18 years,
over 80% of the boys in nearly all samples were active consumers. The heaviest users
wereidentiedasbeingfromSweden,Germany,theNetherlands,andItaly.
Figure 2. Adolescent girls voluntarily viewing internet pornography.
By comparison, 15-year-old girls showed little enthusiasm for becoming internet
pornographyconsumers,clusteringbelow10%.ExceptionswereinAustraliaat39%
(smallsample)andtheCzechRepublicwith52%(largesample).Similartotheboys,
the heavier consumers among the older girls were from northwestern Europeans
countries,specically,GermanyandSweden.Overall,fewergirlsineverynational
sample were voluntary consumers compared with their male counterparts.
The samples cited comprised 14,313 boys from 13 countries and 15,031 girls
from 14 countries. The data is comprehensive enough to demonstrate that internet
pornography use generally rises with age within a wide range of countries, and that
boys show a greater level of interest than girls.
Adolescents and Potential Harms from Internet Pornography
There is a considerable amount of academic literature concerning the use of
pornography by adolescents; although those with an exclusive focus on internet
pornography is much more limited. The cumulative potential for harm to adolescents
is likely to remain a contested space for the next few years. Nevertheless, social,
health, and learning issues have been discussed in various reviews, such as those
led by Owens,Behun,Manning,andReid(2012), Peter and Valkenburg (2016), and
Lim,Carrotte,andHellard(2016).
Adolescent consumers are subject to many areas of inuence through internet
pornography. Importantly, it has become the default source of sex education or a
manual for sex. In this way, it can reduce inhibitions and barriers for more risky
behavior. Pornographic videos depicting all genres and interests are instantly available
to every consumer in a few clicks.
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
390
A long list of harms is currently under investigation, including social isolation,
depression, lethargy, erectile dysfunction, and a declining interest in real partners.
Earlyinternetpornographyusecorrelateswithearlysexualdebutandawiderange
of anti-social markers (Svedin,Åkerman,&Priebe,2011).
In modeling sex, the activities depicted generally ignore health risks, displaying
condom-free performances with multiple partners. The performers are often
physically enhanced and they usually behave in an exaggerated way. There is
evidence correlating the increased levels of hetero-anal sex in real-life with its very
frequent depiction in popular pornography (Braun-Courville&Rojas,2009;Mattebo
etal.,2016;Rogala&Tydén,2003;Tydén&Rogala,2004). This view is also held by
front-linesexualhealthprofessionalssuchasthoseatEdinburgh’sChalmersSexual
HealthCentre(Hardman,S.2016,personalcommunication,16June)andattheGold
CoastCentreAgainstSexualViolence(Macleod, D. 2016, personal communication,
11 November).
Free access to internet pornography means that virgin consumers often view this
material for years before they engage in partnered sex. For some, it can become a
substitute for partnered sex. Through unconscious sexual conditioning, it can also
encourage the development of tendencies for voyeurism and to escalation to different
genres, potentially including illegal child sexual exploitation material (CSEM).
Escalationmaybedriveninpartbytheneedtofeelsexuallyarousedwhenaffected
by pornography-induced erectile dysfunction (Wilson & Jack, 2014). This side-
effectisaresultofdesensitization,acharacteristicofaddiction.Heavyconsumption
can also lead to confusion over sexual orientation, as bored users escalate to genres
of pornography at odds with their natural orientation. For example, heterosexual
individuals may begin to view homosexual pornography and vice versa to create
sexual arousal (Downing et al., 2016).
Therst-evereffort to producea meta-analysis (ananalysis of multiplestudies
toobtainalargersamplesize)concerningtheimpactofpornographyasadriverfor
sexualaggressionappearedattheendof2015.However,theanalysisonlyexplored
theimpacton thegeneralpopulation,anddidnotaddresschildrenspecically.No
equivalent research for those under 18 years has been published. Nevertheless, the
meta-analysisdetailedanumberofinterestingndings:
ConsumptionwasassociatedwithsexualaggressionintheUnitedStatesandinternationally,
among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations
werestronger forverbalthanphysicalsexual aggression,althoughbothweresignicant.
The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor
(Wright,Tokunaga,&Kraus,2015).
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
391
The newest area of concern is the potential for internet pornography addiction to
affect heavy users (Wilson&Jack,2014). According to a 2015 review into internet
addictionsledbyLove(Love,Laier,Brand,Hatch,&Hajela,2015), compulsive use
ofinternetpornographytsthedenitionofanaddictivebehaviorestablishedbythe
AmericanSociety ofAddiction Medicine. Recent research from the University of
Cambridge(Voon et al., 2014) indicates that compulsive use of internet pornography
causes the same brain changes as those seen in cocaine addicts and alcoholics.
The default situation, which has evolved throughout most parts the world, is to accept
unlteredinternet access, allowingeveryone unlimited accessto all pornography.
Theexceptionisillegaldepictionsofchildrenin CSEM, which isbannedthrough
aninternational agreement underpinned by theUnited NationsConvention onthe
RightsoftheChild(United Nations, 1989).
Internet Pornography and Risk Management
The cornerstone of risk management is the precautionary principle. Where there is
an unproven risk, the activity must be assumed to be harmful until proven otherwise.
Allowing adolescents to consume internet pornography falls into this category. Thus,
precautions should be taken to avoid the possible risk until when, or if, internet
pornography is proven either harmless or low-risk. According to the European
Commission, “the precautionary principle may be invoked when a phenomenon,
productorprocessmayhaveadangerouseffect,identiedbyascienticandobjective
evaluation,ifthisevaluationdoesnotallowtherisktobedeterminedwithsufcient
certainty.”(EUR-Lex,n.d.).
This paper will now explore the options available to governments if they choose
to use the precautionary principle to minimize access for adolescents to internet
pornographywhilethedebateoverharmsisresolvedorclaried.
Harm Minimization - Reducing Access to Legal Pornography
Making legal pornography illegal will not prevent consumption unless its supply
canbeefcientlyblockedbeforeitreachesconsumers.Atpresent,thisisonlyfeasible
forcountriesinvestingheavilyininternetcensorship,suchasIranandChina.
From a risk management point of view, internet pornography poses dangers similar
to any activity that has a high potential for the development of problematic behaviors
or addiction through sustained overconsumption. In fact, internet pornography has
not been demonstrated to be a safe product, and therefore, it could be mandated under
product liability law as a defective product when consumed in excess.
Itisimportanttorecognizetheroleofsearchenginesinprovidingchildrenwiththe
abilitytondpornography.Typing“porn”intoGooglegenerates345,000,000results
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
392
and“sex”returns2,010,000,000results.Nearlyallresultsintherstfewpagesare
for pornography sites. Any effort to reduce access will require technical collaboration
withthesearchenginecompaniesaswellastheInternetServiceProviders(ISPs).
Fewer young people are likely to be able to access internet pornography easily
iftheISPsroutinelyblockaccesstoadultsites.Historically,thishasalreadybeen
enacted in the U.K. based on an automatic opt-out. When a person leases an internet
connection,itcomesunlteredandthereisanoptionfortheconsumertohaveadult-
content ltering turned on, blocking most common pornography sites. Uptake of
theseltershasbeenpoor,meaningthatmostU.K.consumershaveunlteredaccess.
More recently in the U.K., several major ISPs have moved toward setting up
newaccounts withadult lters turned on by default. However,thebill-payer still
hastheoption to opt-out.Overtime, themarketwill move towardlteringas the
defaultconditionintheU.K.Thissortoflteringiscurrentlyabluntinstrument,as
it does not block non-commercial pornography sites or sexting and sometimes blocks
legitimate content.
The majority of young people access pornography on mobile devices (Pornhub,
2016). Specically, internet-enabled gaming machines continue to increase in
popularity as sources of pornography. For pay-as-you-go mobile services, some
providershaveadefaultover-18ltering,whichcanonlyberemovedbyregistering
acreditcard.Oncethisisdone,adultcontentispermanentlyenabled.
Althoughlteringhastheabilitytoreduceoverallconsumption,itcanbeovercome
by a range of easy hacks within the capacity of many teens. Moreover, if one family
blocks pornography, a child can always watch it at their friends’ homes where it is
notblocked.Theprotectivebenetsoflteringarelikelytobegreatestforyounger
children who have fewer options to circumvent blocking.
ThereviewbytheUnitedKingdomGovernmentofthepotentialtoinstituteanage
vericationsystem to minimize the access to internetpornography ended its public
consultation phase on April 12, 2016 and is expected to result in the passage of the
DigitalEconomyBill(DepartmentofCultureMediaandSport,2016). This study is
investigatingoptionstobothestablishspecicmethodsofacceptableageverication
and to develop a range of control measures, which have the potential to encourage
internet pornography suppliers to conform to U.K. law. However, it is recognized
that no major pornography supplier is based in the U.K., and few are even within the
EuropeanUnion.Inessence,themeasureswouldencouragepornographysuppliersto
incorporatetheagevericationsoftwareforconsumerswithIPaddressesintheU.K.
Inthefuture,itislikelythatArticialIntelligence(AI)technologieswilldevelop
to the point where machines can identify pornography with a high degree of
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
393
reliability.Havingrecentlyvisitedlabswheresomeoftheworld’sleadingcomputer
scientistsarebuildingimageidenticationalgorithms,itisapparentthatitwillbeat
least several years before it will be possible to block pornography purely based on
thecontentofimages.AIlteringcouldbedoneatboththeconsumerandsupplier
levels, making it a powerful technology once it is perfected.
Harm Minimization - Reducing Demand for Legal Pornography
If adults have less desire to consume legal pornography, they are less likely to
expose young people in their care to this material or to create opportunities where
young people can gain access while the adults are not present. There is also a body of
research indicating that pornography consumption by one adult in a relationship can
signicantlynegativelyaffectthefutureoftherelationship(Stewart&Szymanski,
2012;Szymanski,Feltman,&Dunn,2015). Therefore, active education to highlight
the harmful aspects of an overconsumption of internet pornography would be valuable
amongtheadultpopulationinanycountry.Excessiveconsumptionofpornographyis
already a global public health issue (Dines, 2010, 2016).
The single factor that tends to motivate people to reduce or eliminate pornography
consumption is the recent massive rise in erectile dysfunction, especially among
youngermen.Historically,levelsofimpotenceamongyoungmenhavebeen2%to
5% (Park et al., 2016).Arangeofrecentstudiesarendingthat27%to33%ofyoung
menage18–40yearsarehavingerectiledifcultiesandlowlibidorateswithareal
partner (Bronner & Ben-Zion, 2014; Klucken, Wehrum-Osinsky, Schweckendiek,
Kruse,&Stark,2016;Khn&Gallinat,2014;Mialon,Berchtold,Michaud,Gmel,
&Suris,2012;Pizzol,Bertoldo,&Foresta,2015;Sutton,Stratton,Pytyck,Kolla,&
Cantor,2015), though not with internet pornography (Landripet&Štulhofer,2015).
Essentially,theyhaveconditionedtheirbrainstorespondtoimagesonascreenand
not to real partners. For most young men, this problem can be treated by discontinuing
their use of pornography (Pacha, 2016; Park et al., 2016; Porto 2016).
A range of proven approaches to support people who wish to end their use of
pornography are available on the internet. For example, the site www.yourbrainonporn.
comprovidesmanyresourcestoexplaininternetpornographyaddiction.Onlinehelp
is readily available from recovery websites, such as NoFap.com and Reboot Nation
(www.rebootnation.org). Additionally, The Reward Foundation offers a three-step
approach to quitting (www.rewardfoundation.org).
Harm Minimization - Reducing Demand for Illegal Pornography
Creatingillegal pornography tosupply the needsof adultusers means children
are being harmed through the production process. It is likely that reducing demand
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
394
forCSEMwillreducethenumberofchildrenbeingharmed,eitherwithinthelocal
community or elsewhere in the world.
If an individual becomes addicted to internet pornography, the need to progressively
increase the impact provided by imagery is similar to that experienced by substance
abusers. With substances, an addict needs more of the same, and with pornography,
an addict needs different and new images to experience a high. Many internet
pornography addicts achieve this by escalating to different genres of pornography.
Over time, they may move from heterosexual hardcore pornography to viewing
group sex, gay porn, transgender porn, or a multitude of sub-genres that do not match
their original taste, and can lead to sexual conditioning and fetishes (Downing et
al.,2016;Wéry&Billieux,2016). Unfortunately, some addicts inevitably move to
consumingCSEM.
Thus, the internet has generated a new type of child abuser. Internet pornography
addictscanescalatetoCSEMwithoutthemselveshavinganyinterestincommitting
contact offenses against children. The legal authorities in many countries treat
those in possession of images of child abuse as much of a potential risk as contact
offenders. For pornography addicts with no history of abuse, but who have escalated
topossessionofCSEM,quittingpornographyusemaybeeffectiveinitselftoreduce
the risk of further offending.
Separately,theworkofSeigfried-Spellarand Rogers (2013) suggests that:
…child pornography users were more likely to consume both adult and animal pornography,
rather than just solely consuming child pornography. Results suggested deviant pornography
usefollowedaGuttman-likeprogressioninthatindividualswithayounger“ageofonset”for
adult pornography use were more likely to engage in deviant pornography (bestiality or child)
comparedtothosewithalater“ageofonset.”
Heretheimplicationisthatavoidingearlypornographyconsumptioncouldalso
helpreducedemandforCSEM.
Harm Minimization - Reducing Access to Illegal Pornography
The supply of illegal pornography is very much like the supply of illegal
recreational drugs. Draconian laws, banning substances, and very heavy investment
inenforcementcangreatlyreducethesupply,drivingdemandunderground.However,
it can never be 100% effective and it generates serious unintended consequences.
Organizedcrimetendstouseawidemixofsimpleandsophisticatedtechniquesto
get its pharmaceutical products to market. Illegal pornography is similar. It can be
made by anyone with a smartphone, which is the majority of the population. It can be
distributed by any communication channel. Moreover, pornography gains monetary
or economic value as well as social status when it is banned or scarce. For example,
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
395
CSEMdemandsahighpricebecauseitisillegal.Thiseconomicvalueencourages
organizedcrimetoproduceevermoreCSEM,compromisingthesafetyofchildren
around the world, especially in poorer countries.
Recently,alarminggrowthisbeingreportedinon-demandproductionofCSEM
for individual live-streaming. Organized crime experts have located users who
pay money to impoverished families in poor countries and force young children to
performlivesexactsviawebcamforthesexualgraticationofclientsabroad.
Technologyproviders,suchas NetClean in Sweden,provideblocking,analytic,
and forensic software for corporate networks to block child sexual abuse content.
NetCleanalso supplysoftware forISPs toblock thiscontent.Arelatedcompany,
Griffeye, supplies technology that allows law enforcement agencies to gather
intelligence and visual evidence from large data platforms handling images and video.
Thesetechnologiesrelyondigitalngerprintingofknownabuseimages,whichcan
then spot additional occurrences of the same material, allowing illegal images to be
tracked as they are shared across child abuse networks. This technology is used by
the Metropolitan Police in the U.K.
CSEM is generally found on the dark web. Much of this is shared using The
Onion Ring (Tor) anonymity network.This provides privacy, though leaks from
EdwardSnowdenshowthatintheUnitedStates,theNationalSecurityAgencyhas
developedtechniquestoidentifyandinltrateTornetworks,especiallywhentheyare
beinginstalled.OneofthelargestU.K.successesagainstchildsexexploitationwas
courtesy of a hack by Anonymous who gave material to the police that enabled 700
CSEMconsumerstobeidentiedandcharged.
Conclusion
In little more than a decade, internet pornography has moved from being a niche
product to something consumed routinely by most adolescent boys in advanced
economies. Fewer girls consume pornography, but they may be affected by the way
it can change the behavior of boys.
From a risk management perspective, until causality linking pornography
consumption to harm is either disproven or demonstrated to be very low, there is a
strong case for governments and policy makers to intervene in the unrestricted supply
of internet pornography to all consumers, particularly adolescents.
The precautionary principle should be invoked to minimize the likelihood that
internet pornography consumption will become a global public health crisis.
Prevention of harm is always preferable. Reducing the risk from internet pornography
by discouraging its consumption is relatively inexpensive and easy to do. This requires
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
396
a comprehensive educational programme starting in primary school and going
throughout secondary school. Teaching children about the brain’s reward system
and its vulnerability to addiction can help young people take more responsibility
fortheir own actions.Teachingsexualeducation that emphasizesrespect, consent
and safe physical contact can replace, or at least, reduce the need for pornography
asasexmanual.Classesonmedialiteracytodeconstructthepornicationaspectof
advertising and the emotionally arousing messages that are being used to facilitate the
sale of merchandise can be useful in teaching young people critical thinking skills.
All of this can support a focus on reducing adolescent’s demand for pornography at a
local level while governments aim at a national level to reduce supply.
References
Braun-Courville,D.K.,&Rojas,M.(2009).ExposuretosexuallyexplicitWebsitesandadolescent
sexual attitudes and behaviors. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(2), 156–162. http://dx.doi.
org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.12.004
Bronner,G.,&Ben-Zion,I.Z.(2014).Unusualmasturbatorypracticeasanetiologicalfactorinthe
diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction in young men. The Journal of Sexual Medicine,
11(7), 1798–1806. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12501
Department of Culture Media and Sport. (2016). Child safety online: Age verication for
pornography. London, UK. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/le/534965/20160705_AVConsultationResponseFINAL__2_.pdf
Dines,G.(2010).Pornland: How porn as hijacked our sexuality. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Dines,G.(2016).Media’s impact on youth sexuality. Address to the American Academy of Pediatrics
NationalConference,SanFrancisco,October2016.Retrievedfromhttps://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ma70AlG2mDY
Downing,M.J.,Schrimshaw,E.W.,Scheinmann,R.,Antebi-Gruszka,N.,&Hirsheld,S.(2016).
Sexuallyexplicitmedia use by sexual identity:Acomparativeanalysis of gay,bisexual, and
heterosexualmenintheUnitedStates.Archives of Sexual Behavior. Advance online publication.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0837-9
EUR-Lex. (n.d.). The precautionary principle. Retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=URISERV%3Al32042
Green,L.,Brady,D.,Olafsson,K.,Hartley,J.,&Lumby,C.(2011).RisksandsafetyforAustralian
childrenon theinternet:Fullndings fromtheAUKidsOnline surveyof9-16year oldsand
their parents. Cultural Science, 4, 1–73.
Hald,G.M.,Kuyper,L.,Adam,P.C.,&deWit,J.B.(2013).Doesviewingexplaindoing?Assessing
the association between sexually explicit materials use and sexual behaviors in a large sample of
Dutch adolescents and young adults. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10, 2986–2995.
Kadri,N.,Benjelloun,R.,Kendili,I.,Khoubila,A.,&Moussaoui,D.(2013).Internetandsexuality
in Morocco, from cyber habits to psychopathology. Sexologies, 22, e49–e53.
Kastbom,A.A.,Sydsjö,G.,Bladh,M.,Priebe,G.,&Svedin,C.G.(2015).Sexualdebutbeforethe
age of 14 leads to poorer psychosocial health and risky behaviour in later life. Acta Paediatrica,
International Journal of Paediatrics, 104, 91–100.
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
397
Klucken, T., Wehrum-Osinsky, S., Schweckendiek, J., Kruse, O., & Stark, R. (2016).Altered
appetitive conditioning and neural connectivity in subjects with compulsive sexual behavior.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(4), 627–636. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.01.013
Khn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2014). Brain structure and functional connectivity associated with
pornography consumption: The brain on porn. Jama Psychiatry, 71(7), 827–834.
Landripet, I., & Štulhofer,A. (2015). Is pornography use associated with sexual difculties and 
dysfunctions among younger heterosexual men? The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 12, 1136–1139.
Lim,M. S. C.,Carrotte,E.R.,&Hellard, M. E.(2016).Theimpactof pornography ongender-
based violence, sexual health and well-being: What do we know? Journal of Epidemiology &
Community Health, 70, 3–5.
Lopez,J.R.,Mukaire,P.E.,&Mataya,R.H.(2015).Characteristicsofyouthsexualandreproductive
health and risky behaviors in two rural provinces of Cambodia. Reproductive Health, 12.
Retrieved from https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-
015-0052-5
Love,T.,Laier,C.,Brand,M.,Hatch,L.,&Hajela,R.(2015).Neuroscienceofinternetpornography
addiction: A review and update. Behavioral Sciences, 5, 388–433.
Ma,C.M.S.,&Shek,D.T.L.(2013).Consumptionofpornographicmaterialsinearlyadolescents
inHongKong.Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 26,S18–S25.
Mattebo, M. (2014). Use of pornography and its associations with sexual experiences, lifestyles
and health among adolescents(DigitalComprehensive Summaries of UppsalaDissertations,
Uppsala University, Uppsala). Retrieved from http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:696130/
FULLTEXT01.pdf
Mattebo,M.,Tydén,T.,Häggström-Nordin,E.,Nilsson,K.W.,&Larsson,M.(2016).Pornography
consumptionamong adolescent girls in Sweden.The European Journal of Contraception &
Reproductive Health Care, 24, 1–8.
Mialon,A.,Berchtold,A.,Michaud,P.A.,Gmel,G., & Suris,J.C.(2012).Sexualdysfunctions
among young men: Prevalence and associated factors. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 51(1),
25–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.01.008
Owens,E.W.,Behun,R.,Manning,J.C.,&Reid,R.C.(2012).Theimpactofinternetpornography
on adolescents: A review of the research. Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 19, 99–122.
Park,B.Y.,Wilson,G.,Berger,J.,Christman,M.,Reina,B.,Bishop,F.,…Doan,A.P.(2016).Is
Internet pornography causing sexual dysfunctions? A review with clinical reports. Behavioral
Sciences, 6(3), 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bs6030017
Pacha, T. (2016, May). Pornography induced erectile dysfunction (PIED): Understanding the
scope, science, and treatment.Paperpresented at theAmerican UrologicalAssociation, San
Diego.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2011). The use of sexually explicit internet material and its
antecedents: A longitudinal comparison of adolescents and adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior,
40, 1015–1025.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). Adolescents and pornography:A review of 20 years of
research. The Journal of Sex Research, 53(4-5). Retrieved from http://www.pattivalkenburg.nl/
images/2016_Peter__Valkenburg__Pornography.pdf
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
398
Pizzol,D.,Bertoldo,A.,&Foresta,C.(2015).Adolescentsandwebporn:aneweraofsexuality.
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 28(2), 169–173. http://dx.doi.
org/10.1515/ijamh-2015-0003
Pornhub. (2016). Year in review. Retrieved from http://www.pornhub.com/insights/pornhub-2015-
year-in-review
Porto, R. (2016). Male masturbation habits and sexual dysfunctions. Sexologies, 25(4), 160–165.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sexol.2016.03.004
Rogala,C., & Tydén,T.(2003). Does pornography inuence young women’ssexual behavior?
Women’s Health Issues, 13(1), 39–43.
Romito, P., & Beltramini, L. (2015). Factors associated with exposure to violent or degrading
pornography among high school students. The Journal of School Nursing, 31, 280–290.
Seigfried-Spellar,K.C.,&Rogers,M.K.(2013).DoesdeviantpornographyusefollowaGuttman-
like progression? Computers in Human Behavior, 29(5), 1997–2003.
Ševčíková,A.,&Daneback,K.(2014).Onlinepornographyuseinadolescence:Ageandgender
differences. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 11, 674–686.
Shek,D.T.,&Cheung,B.P.(2013).DevelopmentalissuesofuniversitystudentsinHongKong.
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 25, 345–351.
Skakoon-Sparling,S.,Cramer,K.M.,& Shuper,P.A.(2016).The impactofsexual arousal on
sexual risk-taking and decision-making in men and women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(1),
33–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0589-y
Stanley,N., Barter,C.,Wood,M.,Aghtaie, N., Larkins, C.,& Lanau, A. (2016). Pornography,
sexualcoercionand abuse and sextinginyoung people’sintimaterelationships:AEuropean
study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.
org/10.1177/0886260516633204
Stewart,D.N.,&Szymanski,D.M.(2012).Youngadultwomen’sreportsoftheirmaleromantic
partner’s pornography use as a correlate of their self-esteem, relationship quality, and sexual
satisfaction. Sex Roles, 67, 257–271.
Sutton,K.S.,Stratton,N.,Pytyck,J.,Kolla,N.J.,&Cantor,J.M.(2015).Patientcharacteristics
by type of hypersexuality referral: A quantitative chart review of 115 consecutive male cases.
Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 41(6), 563–580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/009262
3X.2014.935539
Svedin,C.G.,Åkerman,I.,&Priebe,G.(2011).Frequentusersofpornography.Apopulationbased
epidemiologicalstudyofSwedishmaleadolescents.Journal of Adolescence, 34, 779–788.
Szymanski,D.M.,Feltman,C.E.,&Dunn,T.L.(2015).Malepartners’perceivedpornographyuse
and women’s relational and psychological health: The roles of trust, attitudes, and investment.
Sex Roles, 73, 187–199.
Tydén,T.,&Rogala,C.(2004).SexualbehaviouramongyoungmeninSwedenandtheimpactof
pornography. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 15(9), 590–593.
United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 34. Retrieved from http://
www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
Voon,V., Mole,T.B.,Banca,P.,Porter,L.,Morris,L.,Mitchell,S.,&Irvine,M. (2014).Neural
correlates of sexual cue reactivity in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours.
PloS one, 9(7), e102419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102419
Mead / The Risks Young People Face as Porn Consumers
399
Weber, M., Quiring, O., & Daschmann, G. (2012). Peers, parents and pornography: Exploring
adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit material and its developmental correlates. Sexuality
and Culture, 16, 408–427.
Wéry,A.,&Billieux,J.(2016).Onlinesexualactivities:Anexploratorystudyofproblematicand
non-problematic usage patterns in a sample of men. Computers in Human Behavior, 56, 257–
266.
Wilson,G.,&Jack,A.(2014).Your brain on porn: Internet pornography and the emerging science
of addiction. London,UK:Margate,CommonwealthPublishing.
Wright,P.J.,Tokunaga,R.S.,&Kraus,A.(2015).Ameta-analysisofpornographyconsumption
and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication,
66(1), 183–205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201
Appendix 1
Boys Voluntarily Watching Internet Pornography (Sorted by percentage watching)
Countryandyearpublished Year data
collected
Sample
size
Boys mean
age
Boys
watching
HongKong2012(Shek&Cheung,2013) 2009–11 1,862 13.6 15%
Australia2011(Green,Brady,Olafsson,Hartley,&
Lumby,2011) 2010–11 100 10.5 16%
Cambodia2015(Lopez,Mukaire,&Mataya,2015) 2009 136 17.0 20%
HongKong2013(Ma&Shek,2013) 2011–12 2,185 14.6 23%
Netherlands2011(Peter&Valkenburg,2011) 2008 1,803 14.5 29%
Sweden2013(Skakoon-Sparling,Cramer,&Shuper,
2016) 2008? 142 12.9 30%
England2016(Stanleyetal.,2016) 2015 172 14.7 39%
Bulgaria2016(Stanleyetal.,2016) 2015 207 15.0 44%
Italy2016(Stanleyetal.,2016) 2015 273 15.3 44%
Australia2011(Shek&Cheung,2013) 2010–11 100 14.5 45%
Morocco2013(Kadri,Benjelloun,Kendili,Khoubila,&
Moussaoui, 2013) 2010–11 200 17.0 47%
Norway2016(Stanleyetal.,2016) 2015 218 15.0 50%
Cyprus2016(Stanleyetal.,2016) 2015 168 15.0 59%
CzechRepublic2014(Ševčíková&Daneback,2014) 2012 1,221 14.1 62%
Netherlands2013(Hald,Kuyper,Adam,&deWit,
2013) 2008–09 1,402 18.0 88%
Italy 2015 (Romito&Beltramini,2015) 2014? 319 18.2 89%
Sweden2015(Kastbom,Sydsjö,Bladh,Priebe,&
Svedin,2015)2009 1,219 18.0 90%
Sweden2011(Svedin,Åkerman,&Priebe,2011) 2009 1,902 18.2 90%
Germany2012(Weber,Quiring,&Daschmann,2012) 2007–08 209 17.3 93%
Sweden2014(Mattebo,2014) 2011 477 16.6 96%
Total 14,315
ADDICTA: THE TURKISH JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS
400
Appendix 2
Girls Voluntarily Watching Internet Pornography (Sorted by percentage watching)
Countryandyearpublished
Year data
collected Samplesize Girlsmeanage
Girls
watching
Cambodia2015 2009 127 17.0 1.5%
England2016 2015 500 14.7 3.0%
Cyprus2016 2015 300 15.0 3.0%
HongKong2013 2011–12 1,885 14.6 4.6%
Italy 2016 2015 340 15.3 5.0%
HongKong2012 2009–11 1,716 13.6 6.0%
Norway 2016 2015 517 15.0 6.0%
Bulgaria 2016 2015 463 15.0 8.0%
Netherlands 2011 2011–12 1,885 14.5 10.0%
Australia 2011 2010–11 100 10.5 13.0%
Morocco 2013 2010–11 200 17.0 17.6%
Australia 2011 2010–11 100 14.5 39.0%
Italy 2015 2014? 383 18.2 39.2%
Netherlands 2013 2008–09 3,198 17.0 44.8%
CzechRepublic2014 2012 1,410 14.1 52.6%
Sweden2014 2011 400 16.6 54.0%
Germany2012 2007–08 143 17.3 61.0%
Sweden2015 2009 1,364 18.0 75.6%
Total 15,031
Note.ThesourcesfortheGirl’sdataarethesameasforthematchingBoy’ssetinAppendix1.
... Since 2008 pornography consumption has transitioned from the model where a market supplied physical media such as magazines and DVDs to consumers through retail networks, to a transnational, Internet-based system mainly operating on a freemium trading model [2][3][4]. In the process it has scaled from predominantly national businesses reaching an audience of millions through shops and mail-order, to a world-wide online one with perhaps a billion customers [5][6][7][8]. ...
... However, the current crop of brain studies on pornography are restricted to people in their 20s and 30s and they also draw on very narrow demographic and cultural samples. In a world where an average age for boys' first exposure is 12 years or younger, brain development issues need investigation [2]. ...
... It is clear that the arrival of smartphones, Wi-Fi and 4G networks leads to most societies adopting pornography as a more acceptable form of recreation, especially among the young. The trajectory of this change can be unique to each country [2]. ...
Article
Full-text available
The Manifesto for a European research network into Problematic Usage of the Internet was published in May 2018. It was written from the perspective of the COST Action Network, a programme of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology CA16207 and is expected to have significant influence on research funding priorities over the next decade. The Manifesto identified nine key research priorities to advance understanding in the field. Our analysis shows that while at the most general level it identified problematic usage of pornography (PUP) as a key research priority, it then barely mentioned it again within the body of the report. This paper uses the Manifesto’s framework to suggest research areas into the problematic usage of pornography which are of particular relevance to clinicians and other professionals working in the field who want to develop approaches to assist individuals and target groups affected by PUP. It also looks at potential research opportunities inspired by the lived-experience of users withdrawing from PUP. A large number of opportunities are identified for new work on PUP across all nine key research areas of the Manifesto.
... Research in this field has indicated the high frequency of pornography exposure (e.g., Mead, 2016;Zimbardo, Wilson, & Coulombe, 2016) and its emotional effect on children and adolescents (e.g., Lim, Carrotte, & Hellard, 2016;Owens, Behun, Manning, & Reid, 2012). Nevertheless, a recent study found that sex education via school educators has decreased (Padilla-Walker, 2018). ...
... A review of recent literature identified 38 data sets for adolescents voluntarily watching online pornography and included a sample of 14,313 boys from 13 countries and 15,031 girls from 14 countries (Mead, 2016). Findings demonstrated that online pornography use generally increases with age within a wide range of countries and that boys show a greater level of interest than girls do. ...
... Findings demonstrated that online pornography use generally increases with age within a wide range of countries and that boys show a greater level of interest than girls do. For instance, consumption levels for those at 15 years old ranged between 20% and 60% (Mead, 2016). Moreover, living in a more liberal country predicted greater probability of intentional exposure to sexually explicit online materials (Ševčíková et al., 2014). ...
Article
Full-text available
Communication between parent and child regarding pornography can be awkward. In the following study, we examined if parenting style (authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive) and gender was associated with parental mediation strategies (restrictive, active, and co-use) in relation to pornography exposure, mediated by threat appraisal and coping appraisal (protection motivation theory). A sample of 1,070 Israeli parents of 10- to 14-year-old youth completed a set of online questionnaires. Findings suggested that authoritarian and permissive parents, who had lower scores in authoritative parenthood, were more likely to have dysfunctional (i.e., low-quality) communication about pornography and subsequently be less active in their mediation regarding pornography. Conversely, parents who were more authoritative were more likely to perceive 1 the severity of pornography consumption and were more restrictive and active in mediating pornography. Finally, fathers tended to have more dysfunctional communication about pornography than mothers and were consequently less active in their mediation strategies concerning pornography.
... El consumo de pornografía es un factor que podría llevar a la asunción de riesgos sexuales, dado que la pornografía se convierte en la principal fuente de educación sexual de los jóvenes. Así, estos se verán inclinados a aprender y asimilar las conductas observadas, lo cual tiene el potencial de reducir inhibiciones y barreras para tomar riesgos sexuales (Mead, 2016;Principi et al, 2019). La teoría de los "guiones sexuales" (Simon y Gagnon, 2003) defiende la construcción social de la sexualidad, estando esta influida por normas sociales, medios de comunicación, experiencias personales, valores y actitudes preexistentes. ...
Article
Full-text available
INTRODUCCIÓN. La pornografía es cada vez más fácilmente accesible a través de Internet, lo cual ha producido una creciente preocupación con respecto a los efectos negativos que este contenido puede tener. De acuerdo con la teoría de los guiones sexuales y el modelo 3AM, la adquisición de guiones sexuales a partir de la pornografía en los adolescentes podría formar patrones de conductas sexuales de riesgo que se activarían y aplicarían a lo largo de su desarrollo sexual. El objetivo general del presente estudio es revisar en la literatura actual cómo el consumo recurrente de pornografía se puede relacionar con las conductas sexuales de riesgo de los adolescentes y jóvenes. MÉTODO. A partir de la búsqueda bibliográfica sistemática llevada a cabo a través PsycINFO, PsycArticles, ERIC, MEDLINE, PSICODOC y Web of Science (WOS) en marzo de 2022, se analizaron los resultados publicados a partir de 2012 hasta la fecha. RESULTADOS. De acuerdo con las publicaciones seleccionadas (n = 22), existe una asociación entre el consumo de pornografía y la toma de riesgos sexuales en adolescentes y jóvenes. Además, esta relación está mediada por otros factores que influyen a ambos constructos indicando una relación entre ellos, como la permisividad sexual, la búsqueda de sensaciones sexuales y la supervisión parental. El género también puede moderar esta relación, aunque existen resultados contradictorios al respecto. DISCUSIÓN. El impacto de la pornografía en la salud sexual de los jóvenes parece ser relevante, por lo que es necesaria la implementación de programas de educación sexual comprehensivos y continuos a lo largo de los años de escolaridad. Estos ayudarían a que los adolescentes desarrollen habilidades de pensamiento crítico sobre la pornografía y sexualidad.
... Most access to the media content in all these including internet is unrestricted (Luscombe, 2016). This poses great danger to young children gaining easy access to adult content and leading to undesirable consequences (Mead, 2016). In addition, McQuail Denis (2005) observes that "whether for children or adults, the media are criticized for offering mindless and soporific entertainment instead of original and stimulating content". ...
Article
Full-text available
Media plays an important role in social development and teenagers are the future of the society. This study made an attempt to elicit responses from teenagers on media content by projecting questions such as; what kind of content are teenagers viewing/reading mostly? What are their favourite programmes; Do they search for any information about nutrition and health related matters? What is the primary source of information for teenagers about health and nutrition?; and how do they spend their leisure-time? This cross-sectional study adopted stratified random sampling from three types of economic groups using a self-administered questionnaire as a tool for data collection. Results revealed that parents and Internet are serving as primary source of health and nutrition information for teenagers. Teenagers of poor families' have low access to Internet, which manifests the glaring 'digital divide'. Contrary to this, boys of poor families watching porn visuals is significantly highest compared to all strata of boys and girls, which clearly indicates the misuse of Internet by boys of poor families. This study recommends that parents, the media, health practitioners and policy makers, among others look into possible ways of increasing the benefits and reducing the harm that media can have on the development of children and adolescents.
... • Berkembangnya internet dan mudahnya mengakses konten tanpa harus ketahuan siapa yang menggunakannya (Cooper, et al., 2000;Demetrovics, et al., 2008;Grubbs, et al., 2010;Mead, 2016;Park, et al., 2016;Pizzol, 2015;Walker, et al., 2015;Wilson, 2014) • Pembelajaran sosial, dan memiliki role model untuk melihat pornografi, seperti keluarga dan teman sebayanya (Crooks & Bauer, 2013;Lehmiller, 2018) • Memiliki masalah mental seperti kesepian, penarikan diri dari lingkungan social, self-esteem rendah dan depresi (Demetrovics, et al., 2008;Park, et al., 2016) • Kurangnya Pendidikan seksual dan pemberian edukasi tentang pornografi khususnya di internet (Albury, 2014;Watson & Smith, 2012) • (Fernandez, 2017;Grubbs, et al., 2015). CPUI-9 yang merupakan versi pendek dan digunakan untuk mengukur persepsi seseorang terhadap adiksi pornografi. ...
Thesis
Deciding cut score in assessment and psychological scale had been taking into consideration to mental health professional in determining abnormality symptom within individual. Although, many studies employed category derived from statistical method to set the standard, there is another method namely objective standard setting (OSS) which frequently used in educational setting which one of them is performance test. The present study investigates OSS as an improved criterion-referenced method to set the cut score in psychological assessment and scale. To demonstrate how OSS can be employed in psychological setting, we used Cyber Pornography Use Inventory (CPUI) which measure perceived addiction of pornography. Using OSS, perceived addiction of pornography were established with clear content-related description of individual cyber pornography use classification.
... Most access to the media content in all these including internet is unrestricted (Luscombe, 2016). This poses great danger to young children gaining easy access to adult content and leading to undesirable consequences (Mead, 2016). In addition, McQuail Denis (2005) observes that "whether for children or adults, the media are criticized for offering mindless and soporific entertainment instead of original and stimulating content". ...
Article
Full-text available
Media plays an important role in social development and teenagers are the future of the society. This study made an attempt to elicit responses from teenagers on media content by projecting questions such as; what kind of content are teenagers viewing/reading mostly? What are their favourite programmes; Do they search for any information about nutrition and health related matters? What is the primary source of information for teenagers about health and nutrition?; and how do they spend their leisure-time? This cross-sectional study adopted stratified random sampling from three types of economic groups using a self-administered questionnaire as a tool for data collection. Results revealed that parents and Internet are serving as primary source of health and nutrition information for teenagers. Teenagers of poor families’ have low access to Internet, which manifests the glaring ‘digital divide’. Contrary to this, boys of poor families watching porn visuals is significantly highest compared to all strata of boys and girls, which clearly indicates the misuse of Internet by boys of poor families. This study recommends that parents, the media, health practitioners and policy makers, among others look into possible ways of increasing the benefits and reducing the harm that media can have on the development of children and adolescents. Key words: Mass media, teenagers, economic background, digital divide, health and nutrition information.
Article
Full-text available
Excessive pornography consumption may distort children's and adolescent's perceptions of relationships, intimacy, and body image, fostering unrealistic expectations that contribute to confusion and dissatisfaction. The normalization of such content can also lead to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes and unhealthy views on sex, which may have long-term psychological consequences. This systematic literature review aimed to identify the impact of internet pornography on children and adolescents. The review attained and identified four themes: Showing Emotional and Behavioral Issues, Lacking Parental Engagement in Digital Literacy and Online Safety for Children and Adolescents, Promoting Unhealthy Sexual Behaviors due to Excessive Porn Consumption, and Addressing the Psychological and Developmental Effects of Internet Pornography. Teaching internet literacy and safe online behaviors in schools is critical, as it prepares learners to navigate the digital world responsibly, identify unsafe content, and make educated media consumption decisions. Encouraging participation in extracurricular activities is also healthier as it fosters friendships, teamwork, and a feeling of purpose. When young people are included and valued within an environment, they are less likely to seek approval from pornography, lowering their dependency on explicit content and improving their emotional well-being.
Article
Full-text available
Advances in production and distribution of sexually explicit media (SEM) online have resulted in widespread use among men. Limited research has compared contexts of use and behaviors viewed in Internet SEM by sexual identity. The current study examined differences in recent SEM use (past 6 months) by sexual identity among an ethnically diverse sample of 821 men who completed an online survey in 2015. Both gay and bisexual men reported significantly more frequent use of Internet SEM compared to heterosexual men. Although most participants reported viewing SEM at home (on a computer, tablet, or smartphone), significantly more gay men reported SEM use at a sex party or commercial sex venue than either heterosexual or bisexual men. Sexual identity predicted viewing of high-risk and protective behaviors in separate logistic regression models. Specifically, compared to heterosexual men, gay and bisexual men had increased odds of viewing condomless anal sex (gay OR 5.20, 95 % CI 3.35–8.09; bisexual OR 3.99, 95 % CI 2.24–7.10) and anal sex with a condom (gay OR 3.93, 95 % CI 2.64–5.83; bisexual OR 4.59, 95 % CI 2.78–7.57). Compared to gay men, heterosexual and bisexual men had increased odds of viewing condomless vaginal sex (heterosexual OR 27.08, 95 % CI 15.25–48.07; bisexual OR 5.59, 95 % CI 3.81–8.21) and vaginal sex with a condom (heterosexual OR 7.90, 95 % CI 5.19–12.03; bisexual OR 4.97, 95 % CI 3.32–7.44). There was also evidence of identity discrepant SEM viewing as 20.7 % of heterosexual-identified men reported viewing male same-sex behavior and 55.0 % of gay-identified men reported viewing heterosexual behavior. Findings suggest the importance of assessing SEM use across media types and contexts and have implications for research to address the potential influence of SEM on sexual behavior (e.g., investigate associations between viewing condomless vaginal sex and engaging in high-risk encounters with female partners).
Article
Full-text available
Traditional factors that once explained men’s sexual difficulties appear insufficient to account for the sharp rise in erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, decreased sexual satisfaction, and diminished libido during partnered sex in men under 40. This review (1) considers data from multiple domains, e.g., clinical, biological (addiction/urology), psychological (sexual conditioning), sociological; and (2) presents a series of clinical reports, all with the aim of proposing a possible direction for future research of this phenomenon. Alterations to the brain's motivational system are explored as a possible etiology underlying pornography-related sexual dysfunctions. This review also considers evidence that Internet pornography’s unique properties (limitless novelty, potential for easy escalation to more extreme material, video format, etc.) may be potent enough to condition sexual arousal to aspects of Internet pornography use that do not readily transition to real-life partners, such that sex with desired partners may not register as meeting expectations and arousal declines. Clinical reports suggest that terminating Internet pornography use is sometimes sufficient to reverse negative effects, underscoring the need for extensive investigation using methodologies that have subjects remove the variable of Internet pornography use. In the interim, a simple diagnostic protocol for assessing patients with porn-induced sexual dysfunction is put forth.
Article
Full-text available
New technology has made pornography increasingly accessible to young people, and a growing evidence base has identified a relationship between viewing pornography and violent or abusive behavior in young men. This article reports findings from a large survey of 4,564 young people aged 14 to 17 in five European countries which illuminate the relationship between regular viewing of online pornography, sexual coercion and abuse and the sending and receiving of sexual images and messages, known as “sexting.” In addition to the survey, which was completed in schools, 91 interviews were undertaken with young people who had direct experience of interpersonal violence and abuse in their own relationships. Rates for regularly viewing online pornography were very much higher among boys and most had chosen to watch pornography. Boys’ perpetration of sexual coercion and abuse was significantly associated with regular viewing of online pornography. Viewing online pornography was also associated with a significantly increased probability of having sent sexual images/messages for boys in nearly all countries. In addition, boys who regularly watched online pornography were significantly more likely to hold negative gender attitudes. The qualitative interviews illustrated that, although sexting is normalized and perceived positively by most young people, it has the potential to reproduce sexist features of pornography such as control and humiliation. Sex and relationships education should aim to promote a critical understanding of pornography among young people that recognizes its abusive and gendered values.
Article
Full-text available
Whether pornography consumption is a reliable correlate of sexually aggressive behavior continues to be debated. Meta-analyses of experimental studies have found effects on aggressive behavior and attitudes. That pornography consumption correlates with aggressive attitudes in naturalistic studies has also been found. Yet, no meta-analysis has addressed the question motivating this body of work: Is pornography consumption correlated with committing actual acts of sexual aggression? 22 studies from 7 different countries were analyzed. Consumption was associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.
Article
Full-text available
Many recognize that several behaviors potentially affecting the reward circuitry in human brains lead to a loss of control and other symptoms of addiction in at least some individuals. Regarding Internet addiction, neuroscientific research supports the assumption that underlying neural processes are similar to substance addiction. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has recognized one such Internet related behavior, Internet gaming, as a potential addictive disorder warranting further study, in the 2013 revision of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Other Internet related behaviors, e.g., Internet pornography use, were not covered. Within this review, we give a summary of the concepts proposed underlying addiction and give an overview about neuroscientific studies on Internet addiction and Internet gaming disorder. Moreover, we reviewed available neuroscientific literature on Internet pornography addiction and connect the results to the addiction model. The review leads to the conclusion that Internet pornography addiction fits into the addiction framework and shares similar basic mechanisms with substance addiction. Together with studies on Internet addiction and Internet Gaming Disorder we see strong evidence for considering addictive Internet behaviors as behavioral addiction. Future research needs to address whether or not there are specific differences between substance and behavioral addiction.
Article
Résumé Introduction Après une longue période de relative tolérance, la masturbation a été diabolisée et réprimée aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles, avant d’être réhabilitée au XXe siècle, puis banalisée et même valorisée depuis quelques décennies par suite de la libération des mœurs, de l’avènement de la sexologie scientifique et de l’essor des médias et d’Internet. Inoffensive et même utile dans sa forme ordinaire largement pratiquée, la masturbation sous sa forme excessive et prééminente, généralement associée de nos jours à la dépendance pornographique, est trop souvent oubliée dans l’évaluation clinique des dysfonctions sexuelles qu’elle peut induire. Objet Le but de cet article est de mettre en lumière le rôle des pratiques masturbatoires idiosynchratiques dans la genèse de deux dysfonctions sexuelles masculines, la dysfonction érectile (DE) et l’anéjaculation coïtale (AC), et d’inciter les professionnels à pratiquer une évaluation des habitudes masturbatoires dans l’entretien sexologique. Méthodologie À partir des très rares publications sur le sujet et de son expérience clinique rassemblant 35 cas, l’auteur décrit le mécanisme de ce conditionnement et propose des mesures thérapeutiques. Résultats Les premiers résultats de la prise en charge de ces patients, par déconditionnement de leurs habitudes masturbatoires et de leur addiction à la pornographie généralement associée, sont encourageants et incitent à poursuivre dans cette direction. La réduction des symptômes a été obtenue chez 19 patients sur 35. Les dysfonctions ont régressé et ils ont pu avoir une activité sexuelle satisfaisante. Ces patients sont toujours suivis de manière espacée ou bien ont été incités à revenir en cas de récidive du trouble. Ces résultats sont un signal d’efficacité potentielle et doivent être confirmés par d’autres études cliniques contrôlées. Discussion Les patients de notre échantillon ne consultaient pas pour addiction masturbatoire mais pour DE ou AC. L’addiction à la masturbation et son style idiosyncratique ne sont jamais signalés spontanément. Pour les premiers cas, devant l’absence d’autres facteurs causaux significatifs, nous les avons découverts lors d’un nouvel interrogatoire plus approfondi. C’est ce qui nous a incité, pour les cas suivants, à rechercher ces habitudes masturbatoires dès l’évaluation initiale. Conclusion La masturbation addictive, souvent accompagnée de dépendance à la cyber-pornographie, s’avère jouer un rôle étiologique dans certains cas de dysfonction érectile ou d’anéjaculation coïtale. L’identification de ces habitudes doit être systématique et ne plus être un diagnostic d’élimination afin que leur déconditionnement fasse partie intégrante de la prise en charge de ces dysfonctions.
Article
Objectives: The aims of this study were to describe patterns of pornography consumption, investigate differences between consumers and non-consumers of pornography regarding sexual experiences, health and lifestyle and determine associations between pornography consumption and sexual experiences, health and lifestyle among adolescent girls. The hypotheses were that adolescent girls categorised as pornography consumers would report sexual experiences to a greater extent, and a riskier lifestyle and poorer health, compared with non-consumers. Methods: A classroom survey was conducted among 16-year-old girls (N = 393). Results: One-third (30%) consumed pornography. In this group, almost half (43%) had fantasies about trying to copy sexual acts seen in pornography and 39% had tried to copy sexual activities seen in pornography. A higher proportion of pornography-consuming girls reported sexual experiences compared with peers. A third (30%) reported experience of anal sex compared with 15% among non-consuming peers (p = 0.001). Furthermore, peer-relationship problems (17% vs 9%; p = 0.015), use of alcohol (85% vs 69%; p = 0.001) and daily smoking (27% vs 14%; p = 0.002) were reported to a greater extent than in non-consuming peers. Pornography consumption, use of alcohol and daily smoking were associated with experience of casual sex. Conclusions: Pornography-consuming girls reported sexual experiences and a risky lifestyle to a greater extent compared with non-consuming girls. This indicates that pornography consumption may influence sexualisation and lifestyle. This is important to acknowledge when designing and implementing sexual health programmes for adolescents.
Article
The goal of this review was to systematize empirical research that was published in peer-reviewed English-language journals between 1995 and 2015 on the prevalence, predictors, and implications of adolescents’ use of pornography. This research showed that adolescents use pornography, but prevalence rates varied greatly. Adolescents who used pornography more frequently were male, at a more advanced pubertal stage, sensation seekers, and had weak or troubled family relations. Pornography use was associated with more permissive sexual attitudes and tended to be linked with stronger gender-stereotypical sexual beliefs. It also seemed to be related to the occurrence of sexual intercourse, greater experience with casual sex behavior, and more sexual aggression, both in terms of perpetration and victimization. The findings of this review need to be seen against the background of various methodological and theoretical shortcomings, as well as several biases in the literature, which currently precludes internally valid causal conclusions about effects of pornography on adolescents.
Article
Introduction: There has been growing interest in a better understanding of the etiology of compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). It is assumed that facilitated appetitive conditioning might be an important mechanism for the development and maintenance of CSB, but no study thus far has investigated these processes. Aim: To explore group differences in neural activity associated with appetitive conditioning and connectivity in subjects with CSB and a healthy control group. Methods: Two groups (20 subjects with CSB and 20 controls) were exposed to an appetitive conditioning paradigm during a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment, in which a neutral stimulus (CS+) predicted visual sexual stimuli and a second stimulus (CS-) did not. Main outcome measures: Blood oxygen level-dependent responses and psychophysiologic interaction. Results: As a main result, we found increased amygdala activity during appetitive conditioning for the CS+ vs the CS- and decreased coupling between the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex in the CSB vs control group. Conclusion: The findings show that neural correlates of appetitive conditioning and neural connectivity are altered in patients with CSB. The increased amygdala activation might reflect facilitated conditioning processes in patients with CSB. In addition, the observed decreased coupling could be interpreted as a marker for impaired emotion regulation success in this group.