Pornography and adolescents: unravelling dominant research assumptions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This critical conceptual article focuses on how adolescent pornography use is commonly researched, examining the key assumptions made in researching pornography and its potential harm. The article first considers the contextual foundations involved in researching adolescents and pornography, which has a long history steeped in notions of indecency and protection. We examine empirical research in the field and how findings translated into media and policy outlets. This leads to the identification and critical discussion of three dominant assumptions in the field: that exposure leads to continued viewing; that increased viewing leads to harm; and that pornography provides the template for sexual practice. This analysis suggests that research has functioned under highly homogenized presumptions about adolescent pornography use and its effects. We argue that there is a fundamental need to broaden pornography research by directly engaging adolescents to include their perspectives in research and in the translation of research into policy and education.