Journal Article Review: The Effects of Pornography on Children and Young People
- Clinical Services Team
- Nov 11
- 6 min read
WCF Clinical Team
Journal Article Review Summary: The Effects of Pornography on Children and Young People (research report by Quadara, El-Murr & Latham, 2017; Australian Institute of Family Services)
Outline
This research report outlines the available evidence (from 2017) on the effects of pornography on young people from Western countries. Some of the more recent statistics are from Our Watch.
It is important to note that the use of consensual sexual material for personal use is not inherently dangerous, and in 2020 research report the AIFS categorised viewing pornography as age-appropriate for 14–18-year-olds. Pornography is categorised as concerning when it is viewed by 10–13-year-olds ‘irregularly’, and very concerning when this age bracket has a chronic pornography interest.
However, young people are being born into a culture where it is assumed the internet is personalized and interactive. More importantly, the consumption of porn has increased exponentially with its easy accessibility and availability on the internet- so much so that the demand for this consumption is unsustainable, and many dangers come with that as well as what is available to the user, especially those with lower developmental maturity. Keep in mind the messages that porn (particularly porn intended for heterosexual male use) conveys, and the themes that have become commonplace, and the sociocultural context that porn is being consumed.
Sexual Violence
While these statistics cannot causally be linked to pornography use, it is important to keep them in mind when reviewing the research article.
In terms of sexual victimisation- people aged 19 and under make up 60% if all sexual assault victims, girls aged 10-14 years experience the highest rates of sexual violence in Australia, and 29% of all male sexual assault victims are aged between 0-9.
For sexual perpetration- sexual assault offences perpetrated by children and young people aged between 10-19 years increased by 36% from 2012-2014, girls and young women aged 10-17 years made up 58% of all recorded offences committed by females from 2012-2013, and boys and young men aged 10-17 committed 16% of all recorded sex offences from 2012-2013.
Studies suggest that females with sexual behaviour problems have a higher rate of victimisation in their histories, experiencing abuse at a lower age, abuse by more than one perpetrator, abuse which is more longstanding and severe, and increased likelihood of developing mental health disturbance as a result. Similarly, young women who engaged in sexually harmful behaviours suggested that there was an impact from porn that related to their own abuse experiences.
These age-related findings are in line with the ACMS finding that adolescents under the age of 18 inflict the highest proportion of child sexual abuse. Similarly, in recent years prevalence of child sexual abuse by other adolescents, especially those who were known to the child/ romantically involved, has substantially increased. That is, 1 in 4 of the sample experienced child sexual abuse before the age of 18. This is directly correlated with the lack of consent, sexual literacy, gender equality, and relationship education from early ages, as well as preventative initiatives.
Pornography Prevalence
OurWatch statistics found that nearly half (48%) of all men have seen pornography before the age of 13 and nearly half (48%) of women before the age of 15. Young men are viewing porn for the first time 3 years before their first sexual relationship (many before they have kissed/ held a partner), and young women 2 years before.
Boys were more likely to experience porn as amusing, arousing, or exciting. Girls more likely to experience as shocking or distressing.
It is shown that the most dominant, popular, and accessible forms of porn are most problematic- such as depicting physical aggression, verbal aggression, non-reciprocal sexual interaction, and assumed consent. These are almost always male to female.
Findings
The key findings are as follows.
60% of young men, and 41% of young women use porn as a source of information about sexual acts, sexual practice, and diverse sexualities. In the absence of other available information, porn is the main form of sex education.
However, only 3% of young people perceive it as very educational, 10% think it is a good way to learn about sex, 3% reporting that it is realistic- suggesting they are using porn to fill the gap left by inappropriate sexual information provisions.
The behaviours and practices depicted in porn influences expectations young people have about sex, associated with feelings of anxiety and fear.
Porn is associated with unsafe sexual health practices, such as not using condoms (only 2% of porn does) and unsafe penetrative sex, as well as leading to try sexual acts dominant in heterosexual porn. Adolescent men reported that they believe porn shapes their sexual practice.
Porn is associated with stronger beliefs in gender stereotypes, particularly in relation to sex, and the association is stronger for males. Male adolescents who watch porn are more likely to hold sexist attitudes and views of women, such as them ‘leading men on’, and view women as sexual objects.
There is an increase in attitudes of adolescents being supportive of sexual violence and violence against women; with toxic masculinity as a strong correlational factor, as well as male peer relations that emphasise aggression and disrespect towards women.
There is an association between porn consumption and perpetrating sexual harassment for boys, and sexual coercion in college men.
35% of scenes in popular porn contain non-consensual behaviour.
Adolescents who consumed violent porn, at follow up as adults, were 6 times more likely to have been sexually aggressive compared to non-violent porn viewers
Girls who had experienced family psychological or sexual violence were more likely to watch porn, especially violent porn or ones which women seemed to enjoy violent acts, but no such associations found for boys.
Increased self-objectification and body surveillance among both male and female adolescents.
Sexual preoccupation, compulsive consumption and addiction associated with frequency of viewing porn.
Adolescent boys may have higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem with compulsive sexually explicit imagery use, or less satisfied with their lives.
Early exposure to porn associated with youth sexual offending, antisocial and aggressive behaviour.
There are several key issues underpinning the correlations between porn and sexually harmful behaviours. These are characterised by the attitudes, knowledge, practices, and the scripts and narratives of contemporary porn in which aggression, objectification, roughness, non-reciprocity, and assumed consent is the default expression of heterosexual sex. Another issue is the location of porn within the cultural context, in which stereotypes about gender, sexism, sexual objectification, and violence supportive of attitudes are also at play across social ecology, in addition to normalizing young men’s porn consumption itself. And finally, the absence of alternative narratives, that would include scripts and representations of heterosexuality in a light that allows for women’s sexual agency, consent education, and desire; that meet the developmental information needs of young people.
Risk factors associated alongside consuming porn can make males more predisposed to sexually aggressive behaviours, such as hostility toward women, lower intelligence, antisocial tendencies, and higher interest in impersonal sex and domination. Another study found that males who had weak or troubled family relations used porn more frequently.
It is important to understand how porn may contribute to environments in which dangerous and abusive incidents occur, in addition to other kinds of violence including sexual coercion, harassment, and self-harm. Additionally, “less harmful” effects such as limited sexual scripts or increased sexist attitudes contribute to environments that promote domestic and sexual violence. This is also suggested by the association between intimate partner violence victimisation in adulthood and child maltreatment.
Children in out of home care may be more vulnerable to effects of porn and more susceptible to harmful attitudes associated with porn due to experiences of trauma, relationship disruption, and exposure to violence. Additionally, intellectually or developmentally delayed children are at a greater risk of the negative effects of porn.
What Can We Do?
It was found that there are 4 main contexts in which young people develop early ideas about their bodies, relationships, sexualities, and gender: home, school, screen time, and online relationships.
Encourage young people to use critical thinking when consuming porn or sexual content. What does it say, who makes it, why, what does this mean to you? Teach to not be a passive actor.
Arm young people with the tools to engage critically with media- understand differences between online porn and offline sexual relationships
Increase young people’s digital and sexual literacies. Be specific, knowledgeable, and factual.
Open communication, start discussions, answer questions.
ACMS suggestions for comprehensive sexuality education:
Enhance socio-emotional skills
Personal interactions with others (listening, interaction, cue interpretation)
Self-regulation (temperance, self-control, resisting peer influence)
Enhance empathy
Understanding others feelings
Accurate interpretation of behavioural/ verbal cues
Appropriate response to situations/ dynamics
Prevent and reduce attitudinal/ cognitive distortions about sex, desire, consent
Decrease hostility toward children (especially girls)
Enhance acceptance of gender equality
Accepting individual rights to bodily inviolability
Understanding nature of consent, conditions for valid consent
References
The Australian child maltreatment study (2023) 3846.1_ACMS_A4Report_C1_Digital-Near-final.pdf
Harmful sexual behaviour framework, NSPCC (2019) harmful-sexual-behaviour-framework.pdf
Our Watch (2020) Pornography-young-people-preventing-violence.pdf
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