Adolescent Pornography Use and Dating Violence among a Sample of Primarily Black and Hispanic, Urban-Residing, Underage Youth

Emily Rothman,Avanti Adhia

doi:10.3390/bs6010001

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was designed to characterize the pornography viewing preferences of a sample of U.S.-based, urban-residing, economically disadvantaged, primarily Black and Hispanic youth (n = 72), and to assess whether pornography use was associated with experiences of adolescent dating abuse (ADA) victimization. The sample was recruited from a large, urban, safety net hospital, and participants were 53% female, 59% Black, 19% Hispanic, 14% Other race, 6% White, and 1% Native American. All were 16–17 years old. More than half (51%) had been asked to watch pornography together by a dating or sexual partner, and 44% had been asked to do something sexual that a partner saw in pornography. Adolescent dating abuse (ADA) victimization was associated with more frequent pornography use, viewing pornography in the company of others, being asked to perform a sexual act that a partner first saw in pornography, and watching pornography during or after marijuana use. Approximately 50% of ADA victims and 32% of non-victims reported that they had been asked to do a sexual act that their partner saw in pornography (p = 0.15), and 58% did not feel happy to have been asked. Results suggest that weekly pornography use among underage, urban-residing youth may be common, and may be associated with ADA victimization.

Highlights

23% of 10–15 year olds U.S youth intentionally watch internet pornography at least once per year [1]
More than half the sample (56%) reported ever trying a sexual act because they first saw it in pornography, and 54% reported ever watching pornography in order to learn how to do something sexual
This was an exploratory study designed as a preliminary effort to describe pornography use among a sample of youth at high risk for experiencing health disparities who have been underrepresented in pornography-related research—that is, urban-residing, economically disadvantaged, underage youth, almost all of whom (94%) were of color

Summary

Introduction

23% of 10–15 year olds U.S youth intentionally watch internet pornography at least once per year [1]. Debates about the potential harms of youth exposure to pornography have been raging for decades, but over the past several years, there has been an increasing level of anti-internet pornography activism. While the scientific evidence supports the contention that exposure to some forms of sexually explicit material may be harmful to youth (for example, may inspire copycat acts of sexualized violence or degradation, or increase sexual aggression [2,3]), the knowledge base regarding youth exposure to contemporary internet-based pornography and sequelae remains too limited. A handful of studies published since the advent of widespread internet availability have found associations between youth exposure to pornography and subsequent sexual aggression, permissive sexual norms and gender role attitudes, earlier sexual behavior, lower levels of sexual satisfaction, higher preferences.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion