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How Porn Can Fuel and Normalize Teen Dating Violence

Originally posted at: https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-normalize-violence-in-teen-dating-relationships

Porn teaches toxic lessons to teens. In discussions about teen dating violence, we can’t forget how porn both fuels and normalizes sexual violence.

Although it’s not often discussed, nearly 1 in 12 teens reports experiencing physical dating violence, according to a 2019 survey.1

Even less talked about is the fact that pornography plays a role in informing teens’ understanding of sex and relationships in unhealthy ways.2 In fact, even though many teens report learning about sex from porn, research suggests that porn may be making teens more sexually illiterate.3

Research also suggests that as little as 35.0% and as much as 88.2% of popular porn scenes contain physical violence or aggression, and that women are the targets of violence approximately 97% of the time.45

What is this teaching young people about sex?

Porn’s role in abuse

Reviews of the research on this topic reveal that porn can influence adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behavior, and can even play a role in increased sexual aggression.67

In fact, dozens and dozens of studies show a direct link between porn and increased sexual aggression, showing that porn consumption is a significant predictor of committing acts of sexual violence.8910

Additionally, research suggests that increased porn consumption is associated with men’s enjoyment of degrading and/or sexually aggressive behaviors.11

As one young person said in a recent study about porn’s influence on adolescents:

“My friend tried to choke his girlfriend once when they were having sex because he had seen it in a porno… it ended with the girlfriend slapping him and when he asked why she slapped him she said, ‘Because you were choking me.’” -Nicholas, 16, Glasgow12

Another increasingly common form of dating violence is image-based abuse, sometimes called “revenge porn.”

With this in mind, it’s important to remember that:

  • Any explicit content of a minor is legally considered “child pornography.”
  • According to the Internet Watch Foundation, approximately 1/3 of child sexual abuse images are originally shared by the depicted minors themselves.13
  • According to a longitudinal study on the topic, porn use significantly predicted more willingness to forward sexts nonconsensually.14
  • 1 in 3 underage teens say they have seen nonconsensually shared nudes of other minors.15
  • 1 in 12 U.S. adults report being victims of nonconsensual porn and 1 in 20 have been perpetrators of spreading it.16
You deserve to feel safe

Teens learn about sex from porn, but porn teaches toxic lessons. In discussions about teen dating violence, we can’t forget how porn both fuels and normalizes sexual violence.

Sexual violence is never a requirement to be a fulfilling, exciting partner. Everyone deserves to make their own decisions about sex, free from what porn dictates as being normal or required.

Everyone deserves to be in intimate dating relationships where they feel respected, valued, and safe. 

Citations

1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Division of Adolescent and School Health. (2021). Youth risk behavior survey: Data summary & trends report 2009-2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBSDataSummaryTrendsReport2019-508.pdf

2British Board of Film Classification. (2020). Young people, pornography & age-verification. BBFC. Retrieved from https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/research

3Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., Herbenick, D., & Paul, B. (2021). Pornography vs. sexual science: The role of pornography use and dependency in U.S. teenagers’ sexual illiteracy., 1-22. doi:10.1080/03637751.2021.1987486

4Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A Descriptive Analysis of the Types, Targets, and Relative Frequency of Aggression in Mainstream Pornography. Archives of sexual behavior, 49(8), 3041–3053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0

5Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., Sun, C., & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression and sexual behavior in best-selling pornography videos: a content analysis update. Violence against women, 16(10), 1065–1085. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801210382866

6Koletić G. (2017). Longitudinal associations between the use of sexually explicit material and adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors: A narrative review of studies. Journal of adolescence, 57, 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.04.006

7Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). Adolescents and pornography: A review of 20 years of research. 53(4-5), 509-531. doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1143441

8Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183-205. doi:10.1111/jcom.12201

9Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). Adolescents and pornography: A review of 20 years of research. 53(4-5), 509-531. doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1143441

10Goodson, A., Franklin, C. A., & Bouffard, L. A. (2021). Male peer support and sexual assault: The relation between high-profile, high school sports participation and sexually predatory behaviour.27(1), 64-80. doi:10.1080/13552600.2020.1733111

11Ezzell, M. B., Johnson, J. A., Bridges, A. J., & Sun, C. F. (2020). I (dis)like it like that: Gender, pornography, and liking sex. J.Sex Marital Ther., 46(5), 460-473. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2020.1758860

12British Board of Film Classification. (2020). Young people, pornography & age-verification. BBFC. Retrieved from https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/research

13Internet Watch Foundation. (2021). The annual report 2020: Self-generated child sexual abuse. Retrieved from https://annualreport2020.iwf.org.uk/trends/international/selfgenerated

14van Oosten, J., & Vandenbosch, L. (2020). Predicting the Willingness to Engage in Non-Consensual Forwarding of Sexts: The Role of Pornography and Instrumental Notions of Sex. Archives of sexual behavior, 49(4), 1121–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01580-2

15Thorn. (2020). Thorn research: Understanding sexually explicit images, self-produced by children. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/blog/thorn-research-understanding-sexually-explicit-images-self-produced-by-children/

16Ruvalcaba, Y., & Eaton, A. A. (2020). Nonconsensual pornography among U.S. adults: A sexual scripts framework on victimization, perpetration, and health correlates for women and men. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000233

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The Best Gift for Your Wife – 12-Week Partner Recovery Group

From our friends at Theresstillhope.org. As a personal note, I cannot stress enough the need for therapist/professionally led partner support groups to help wives work through the trauma of betrayal.

Guys, this 12-week group is the best gift you can give to your wife! Because your own recovery is not enough.

Beth is a trained trauma coach, with extensive experience taking women through the process of recovery. For 12 weeks, your wife will join with other women as they walk through Beth’s highly acclaimed book, 12-Week Partner Recovery Guide: Journey to Healing From Sexual Betrayal.

The next group begins Monday, January 8. Meetings are from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST using Zoom video. The cost is $180 and may be paid out over three months, if necessary.

For more information, your wife can call or text Beth at 941-526-4694, email her at Beth@TheresStillHope.org, or click the link below.

Spouse Group Sign-up

Yours for Recovery,

Mark Denison, D.Min., M.Div., MAHS, PSAP

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Even There

By KW

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel.”

     Similar to the Israelites journey out of Egypt, I lived as a prisoner to the Pharaoh of addiction for the first quarter of my life. I’d always known I had serious issues, and that my world was totally unmanageable, but I felt powerless to change. If I’m honest, there was a big part of me that didn’t really want to leave behind the “pleasures of Egypt” and, while I would often beg God to free me from my captivity, my divided heart could never take my feet beyond the shore of the Red Sea. Looking back now, I can see how the Lord was with me all along, but I wanted Him to come as a magician, not a Great Physician (Luke 5:31). I wanted a microwaveable miracle rather than a painful process of collaborative-cleansing; comfort over change. But just as Moses was born during a horrible hour of enslavement, the birth of Christ was a prophetic promise of spiritual emancipation, which is why I love “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

     This song is essentially the story of my life, and the age-old testimony of humanity.  It reminds us that while we were slaves to sin, precious little baby Emmanuel descended from Heaven “to proclaim liberty to the captives…[and] to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Perhaps you find yourself battling with some besetting sin this advent season. May the lyrics of this song encourage your weary heart. “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Our freedom was the very reason that Christ was born; He loves you and will never forsake you. After all, Emmanuel means “God with us,” and so in our sin-struggles, addictions, and brokenness, Emmanuel is with us even there. Dear friends, open your hearts today and joyfully receive the gift of His sacred presence. No matter where you find yourself, Emmanuel is with you even there (Psalm 139:7-12).