Abstract
The use of sexually explicit material (SEM) has become a part of adolescent sexual socialization, at least in the Western world. Adolescent and young people's SEM use has been associated with risky sexual behaviors, which has recently resulted in policy debates about restricting access to SEM. Such development seems to suggest a crisis of the preventive role of parental oversight. Based on the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model, this study assessed the role of parental monitoring in the context of adolescent vulnerability to SEM-associated risky or potentially adverse outcomes (sexual activity, sexual aggressiveness, and sexting). Using an online sample of Croatian 16-year-olds (N=1265) and structural equation modeling approach, parental monitoring was found consistently and negatively related to the problematic behavioral outcomes, regardless of participants' gender. While SEM use was related to sexual experience and sexting, higher levels of parental monitoring were associated with less frequent SEM use and lower acceptance of sexual permissiveness. Despite parents' fears about losing the ability to monitor their adolescent children's lives in the Internet era, there is evidence that parental engagement remains an important protective factor.
Highlights
The prevalence of sexually explicit material (SEM) use among adolescents appears substantial
Media Effects Model, in this study we explored the role of parental monitoring in the context of adolescent vulnerability to three SEM-associated risky or potentially adverse outcomes: sexual activity, sexual aggressiveness and sexting
We examined if perceived realism mediated the association between SEM and the target behaviors, hypothesizing that higher levels of pornography realism represented a higher likelihood of the scripting effects of SEM (Sun et al, 2016; Wright & Donnerstein, 2014)
Summary
The prevalence of sexually explicit material (SEM) use among adolescents appears substantial. Media Effects Model, in this study we explored the role of parental monitoring in the context of adolescent vulnerability to three SEM-associated risky or potentially adverse outcomes: sexual activity, sexual aggressiveness and sexting. Focusing on dispositional and social susceptibilities, this study tested a structural model that assessed the role of parental monitoring in adolescent vulnerability to SEM-associated risky or potentially adverse sexual outcomes. The model, presented, assessed the association between SEM use and three behavioral outcomes (earlier sexual debut, sexual aggressiveness and sexting), controlling for parental monitoring. Taking into account well-documented gender differences in SEM use (Peter & Valkenburg, 2016), as well as the empirical findings pointing that parental monitoring may have gender-specific role in the context of adolescent sexuality (Štulhofer, Graham, Božićević, Kufrin, & Ajduković, 2009), it was necessary to consider possible gender-specific observations.
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