Does pornography consumption lead to intimate partner violence perpetration? Little evidence for temporal precedence

Abstract

The relationship between pornography use and violence has been extensively researched. Numerous studies suggest that the violent content depicted in pornography may be a risk factor for relationship violence. The current study, therefore, seeks to examine whether pornography use prospectively predicts a particular form of relationship violence—intimate partner violence. Using a large longitudinal sample of university students (N = 892) over a three-month time lag with two waves and a cross-lagged panel design, we found that pornography use does not prospectively predict the perpetration of intimate partner violence, and that the perpetration of intimate partner violence does not prospectively predict pornography use. Further, gender does not moderate these relationships. Finally, strengths, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.