The Social Costs of Pornography: A Collection of Papers
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Paul, Pamela. Pornified: How Pornography Is Damaging Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2005.
The criminal histories and later offending of child pornography offenders
Two hundred and one adult male child pornography offenders were examined for re-offending. Child pornography offenders with prior criminal records were significantly more likely to offend again in any way during the follow-up period. Child pornography offenders who had committed a prior or concurrent contact sexual offense were the most likely to offend again, either generally or sexually.
Seto, Michael C., and Angela Eke. “The Criminal Histories and Later Offending of Child Pornography Offenders.” Sexual Abuse: Journal of Research and Treatment 17, no. 2 (2005): 201–210.
Watching sex on television predicts adolescent initiation of sexual behavior
Youth ages 12–17 in the 90th percentile of TV sex viewing had a predicted probability of intercourse initiation that was approximately double that of youth in the 10th percentile.
Collins, Rebecca, Marc Elliott, Sandra Berry, David Kanouse, Dale Kunkel, Sarah Hunter, and Angela Miu. “Watching Sex on Television Predicts Adolescent Initiation of Sexual Behavior.” Pediatrics 114, no. 3 (2004): e280–e289.
Older adolescents’ positive attitudes toward younger adolescents as sexual partners
Subjects were 710 Norwegian 18–19-year-olds attending non-vocational high schools. Some likelihood of having sex with preadolescents (less than 12 years old) was reported by 5.9% of the males; 19.1% of the males indicated some likelihood of having sex with a 13–14-year-old.
The 19.1% who were willing to have sex with a 13–14-year-old reported:
More high-frequency drinking
More alcohol-related problems
Earlier sexual initiation
More conduct problems
Poorer psychosocial adjustment
More high-frequency pornography use
Having more friends who are interested in child pornography and violent pornography
Greater use of coercion to obtain sexual favors
More buying and selling of sex
Hegna, Kristinn, Svein Mossige, and Lars Wichstrom. “Older Adolescents’ Positive Attitudes Toward Younger Adolescents as Sexual Partners.” Adolescence 39, no. 156 (2004): 627–651.
When words are not enough: The search for the effect of pornography on abused women
The use of pornography (by the batterer) significantly increases a battered woman’s odds of being sexually abused. Use of pornography and alcohol increases the odds of sexual abuse. Pornography alone increases the odds of sexual abuse by a factor of almost 2, and the combination of pornography and alcohol increases the odds of sexual abuse by a factor of 3.
Shope, Janet Hinson. “When Words Are Not Enough: The Search for the Effect of Pornography on Abused Women.” Violence Against Women 10, no. 1 (2004): 56–72.
Adult social bonds and use of internet pornography
Persons ever having an extramarital affair were 3.18 times more apt to have used cyberporn than ones who had not had affairs. Further, those ever having engaged in paid sex were 3.7 times more apt than those who had not to be using cyberporn.
Stack, Steven, Ira Wasserman, and Roger Kern. “Adult Social Bonds and Use of Internet Pornography.” Social Science Quarterly 85 (2004): 75–88.
Child pornography and the internet: Perpetuating a cycle of abuse
Interviews were conducted with 13 men who were convicted of downloading child pornography with a view to understanding how they talked about the photographs and the function such talk played in their accounts. Quotations are used from the interviews to illustrate the analysis.
Their selection of images for sexual purposes was influenced by superficial cues, which allowed the viewer to believe that the children in the pictures were consenting and enjoyed being photographed: “no kids being hurt,” “and they had to look happy. I mean, I wasn’t looking for rape or anything.”
Accessing the images appeared to reinforce existing fantasies, and was used to give permission to act on them: “It made me want to do the things I wanted to do. It gave me more courage to do them . . . knowing that I’ve seen it there . . . they were doing it . . . I can do it.”
Teaching skills: “I copied what I’d seen on the computer.”
Tolerance: “It seemed to be getting younger and younger . . . as the more I got into the sites and the more I diversified the more you could . . . you know . . . the harder the pornography got . . . seemed to be getting harder and harder.”
Internet effect: “The children side of it came into being when I discovered this stuff on the internet.” “So I then got into this kind of regime of finding hard-core porn . . . the sort that if I had . . . the nerve I would have bought a magazine that showed this kind of material in a shop but then there’d be a problem of sneaking the magazine back into the house and then accessing that material privately.”
Quayle, Ethel, and Max Taylor. “Child Pornography and the Internet: Perpetuating a Cycle of Abuse.” Deviant Behavior 23, no. 4 (2002): 331–361.
Exposure to X-rated movies and adolescents’ sexual and contraceptive-related attitudes and behaviors
Black females ages 14–18 were questioned about their exposure to X-rated movies. Exposure to X-rated movies was associated with being more likely to have negative attitudes toward using condoms, to have multiple sex partners, to have sex more frequently, to not have used contraception during the last intercourse, to not have used contraception in the past six months, to have a strong desire to conceive, and to test positive for chlamydia.
Wingood, Gina, Ralph DiClemente, Kathy Harrington, Suzy Davies, Edward Hook III, and M. Kim Oh. “Exposure to X-Rated Movies and Adolescents’ Sexual and Contraceptive-Related Attitudes and Behaviors.” Pediatrics 107, no. 5 (2001): 1116–1119.
Exploring the connection between pornography and sexual violence
Subjects were 100 women who presented to a rape crisis center. Twentyeight percent said that their abuser used pornography; 58% did not know if he used pornography or not. Of those whose abuser used pornography, 40% said the pornography was part of the abuse incident being used either during the abuse or just prior to it, and 43% said that it affected the nature of the abuse. None of the women thought that it decreased the frequency of the abuse, 21% thought that it increased the frequency of the abuse, and 14% believed that it increased the level of violence. In fact, 18% thought that their abuser became more sadistic with the use of pornography.
Of the total sample, 12% said the abuser imitated the pornography, and 4% said someone had tried to force them to do something they had seen in pornography.
Bergen, Raquel, and Kathleen Bogle. “Exploring the Connection Between Pornography and Sexual Violence.” Violence and Victims 15, no. 3 (2000): 227–234.
Pornography and sexual aggression: Are there reliable effects, and can we understand them?
Males who were high in hostile masculinity and sexual promiscuity, and who used pornography frequently were significantly more likely to have physically and sexually aggressed (7.78) than did males who were low in these factors (.4).
Malamuth, Neil M., Tamara Addison, and Mary Koss. “Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Are There Reliable Effects and Can We Understand Them?” Annual Review of Sex Research 11 (2000): 26–68.
Child pornography and the internet
Almost one-third of subjects thought that downloading child pornography from a newsgroup was legal, although it is illegal.
McCabe, Kimberly. “Child Pornography and the Internet.” Social Science Computer Review 18 (2000): 73–76.
Effects of internet pornography and individual differences on men’s attitudes toward women
The likelihood of sexually harassing another is significantly correlated with volume of past exposure to sexually explicit materials.
Barak, Azy, William Fisher, Sandra Belfry, and Darryl Lashambe. “Sex, Guys, an
d Cyberspace: Effects of Internet Pornography and Individual Differences on Men’s Attitudes Toward Women.” Journal of Psychological and Human Sexuality 11 (1999): 63–92.
Focusing on the clients of street prostitutes: A creative approach to reducing violence against women
Men who go to prostitutes are much more likely to have watched a pornographic movie over the last year (66%) than a national sample (33%). Men who go to prostitutes frequently are even more likely to have seen a pornographic movie (74%) than those who have gone to a prostitute only once (53%). The same pattern is seen with the use of pornographic magazines; men who go to prostitutes frequently are more likely to have seen a pornographic magazine in the last year (75%) than men who have gone to a prostitute only once (56%).
Monto, Martin. “Focusing on the Clients of Street Prostitutes: A Creative Approach to Reducing Violence Against Women,” final report for the National Institute of Justice, Grant #97-IJ-CX- 0033, June 2000.
Pathways in the offending process of extrafamilial sexual child molesters
Two pathways to offending were identified: the non-coercive pathway and the coercive pathway. Subjects using the non-coercive pathway generally had used pornography (50%), had deviant sexual fantasies before their offenses (71%), and had cognitive distortions (64%).
Proulx, Jean, Christine Perreault, and Marc Ouimet. “Pathways in the Offending Process of Extrafamilial Sexual Child Molesters.” Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment 11, no. 2 (1999): 117–129.
Deviant sexual behavior in children and young adolescents
In a sample of 30 juveniles who had committed sex offenses, exposure to pornographic material at a young age was common. The researchers reported that 29 of the 30 juveniles had been exposed to X-rated magazines or videos; the average age at exposure was about 7.5 years.
Wieckowski, Edward, Peggy Hartsoe, Arthur Mayer, and Joianne Shortz. “Deviant Sexual Behavior in Children and Young Adolescents: Frequency and Patterns.” Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment 10, no. 4 (1998): 293–304.
Women in strip clubs speak out
Abuse by customers
91% Verbally abused
52% Called cunt
61% Called whore
85% Called bitch
88% Arm grabbed
73% Breast grabbed
91% Buttocks grabbed
27% Hair pulled
58% Pinched
24% Slapped
36% Bitten
76% Customers flicked cigarettes, ice, coins
70% Customers followed them home
42% Customers stalked them
Abuse by managers or male staff
85%% Verbally or physically abused
21%% Called cunt
18%% Called slut
33%% Called bitch
12%% Pinched
12%% Slapped
Women who work in strip clubs are abused by both customers and management.
Holsopple, Kelly. “From the Dressing Room: Women in Strip Clubs Speak Out.” Whisper 9 (1995): 9.
The relationship between pornography usage and child molesting
Approximately 93% of child molesters reported having some fantasies about committing sexual offenses against children. The child molesters were far more likely to have used more pornography in adulthood, and the most common type of materials were “soft-core” materials, which involved nudity or consenting sexual activities between adults. Some child molesters reported a cathartic effect from viewing pornography, but this perception was not supported by other results of this study, in that over one-third of the child molesters reported using pornographic materials shortly before committing a sexual offense.
Wheeler, David L. “The Relationship Between Pornography Usage and Child Molesting.” Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences 57, no. 8-A (1996): 3691.
The ages of fathers in California adolescent births, 1993
School-age mothers have partners who are older. Men who have finished their schooling father two-thirds of the infants born to school-age mothers. These men are on average 4.2 years older than senior-high mothers, and 6.8 years older than junior-high mothers.
Males, Mike, and Kenneth Chew. “The Ages of Fathers in California Adolescent Births, 1993.” American Journal of Public Health 86 (1996): 565–568.
Self-reported sexual interest in children: Sex differences and psychosocial correlates in a university sample
A sample of 180 female and 99 male university students were surveyed regarding their sexual interest in children. Males reported sexual attraction to at least one child more often than did females. Both males and females reported very low rates of sexual fantasies about children, masturbation to such fantasies, or potential likelihood of sexual contact with a child. Males’ sexual attraction to children was associated with:
Lower self-esteem
Greater sexual conflicts
More sexual impulsivity
Lower scores on the Socialization Scale of the California Psychological Inventory
Greater use of pornography depicting consenting adult sex
More self-reported difficulty attracting age-appropriate sexual partners
Smiljanich, Kathy, and John Briere. “Self-Reported Sexual Interest in Children: Sex Differences and Psychosocial Correlates in a University Sample.” Violence and Victims 11, no. 1 (1996): 39–50.
A meta-analysis summarizing the effects of pornography II: Aggression after exposure
A meta-analysis of 33 studies revealed that exposure to either violent or nonviolent pornography increased behavioral aggression.
Allen, Mike, Dave D’Allessio, and Keri Brezgel. “A Meta-Analysis Summarizing the Effects of Pornography II: Aggression After Exposure.” Human Communication Research 22 (1995): 258–283.
Pornography and rape myth acceptance
There was an increase in attitudes supporting sexual violence following pornography exposure. Violent pornography increased these attitudes even more than did non-violent pornography.
Allen, Mike, Tara Emmers, Lisa Gebhardt, and Mary Giery. “Pornography and Rape Myth Acceptance.” Journal of Communication 45 (1995): 5–26.
Comparative analysis of juvenile sexual offenders, violent nonsexual offenders, and status offenders
Juvenile sexual offenders (juvenile rapists and juvenile child molesters) were more likely to have been exposed to pornography (42%) than were juvenile nonsexual offenders (29%). Juvenile sexual offenders also were exposed at an early age (5–8 years old). Juvenile child molesters had been more frequently exposed to pornography.
Ford, Michelle, and Jean Ann Linney. “Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Violent Nonsexual Offenders, and Status Offenders.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 10, no. 1 (1995): 56–70.
The effects of exposure to filmed sexual violence on attitudes toward rape
Males who viewed sexual violence obtained higher scores on scales measuring acceptance of interpersonal violence and rape myth acceptance when compared with males who viewed either a physically violent film or a neutral film.
Weisz, Monica, and Christopher Earls. “The Effects of Exposure to Filmed Sexual Violence on Attitudes Toward Rape.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 10 (1995): 71–84.
Pornography and sexual aggression: Associations of violent and non-violent depictions with rape and rape proclivity
All types of pornography (soft-core, hard-core, violent, and rape) were correlated with using verbal coercion, drugs, and alcohol to sexually coerce women.
All types of pornography other than soft-core were correlated with rape. Those reporting higher exposure to violent pornography use were six times more likely to report having raped than those in the low-exposure group.
Likelihood of forcing a woman sexually was correlated with hard-core, violent, and rape pornography use but not with soft-core pornography use. Likelihood of rape was correlated with all types of pornography use.
Boeringer, Scot. “Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Associations of Violent and Nonviolent Depictions With Rape and Rape Proclivity.” Deviant Behavior 15 (1994): 289–304.
Pornography and abuse of women
Forty percent of abused women indicated that their partner used violent pornography. Of those whose partners used pornography, 53% indicated that they had been asked or forced to enact scenes they had been shown. Forty percent had been raped, and of these, 73% stated that their partners had used pornography. Twentysix percent of the women had been reminded of pornography during the abuse.
Cramer, Elizabeth, and Judith McFarlane. “Pornography and Abuse of Women.” Public Health Nursing 11, no. 4 (1994): 268–272.
Effects of violent pornography upon viewer’s rape myth beliefs: A study of Japanese males
Japanese males who were exposed to a rape depiction in which the woman appeared to have enjoyed the rape were more likely to believe that women in general enjoy rape and to make false accusations of rape when compared with males who were exposed to a rape depiction in which the women displayed pain.
Ohbuchi, Ken-Ichi, Tatsuhiko Ikeda, and Goya Takeuchi. “Effects of Violent Pornography Upon Viewer’s Rape Myth Beliefs: A Study of Japanese Males.” Psychology, Crime, and Law 1 (1994): 71–81.