Developmental risks in children’s exposure to Internet pornography

Authors

  • Casper Schmidt
  • Patrick Bender

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v43i2.137305

Keywords:

Internet pornography, youth, development, addiction, prevention

Abstract

Children’s psychosocial development takes place in close interaction with
digital platforms, the use of which shapes their everyday lives in a variety of
online contexts where Internet pornography (IP) has a prominent presence.
In this article, we will first review the scientific literature on children’s and
adolescents’ exposure to and use of IP and the developmental risks that may
be associated with this, such as worrying attitudes towards sexuality and
sexual behaviour. Next, we discuss the potential risk of developing addiction
as a function of IP use. Finally, we discuss concrete proposals to shield children
who are not yet sexually mature from the potential risks associated with
the use of IP.

References

Antons, S. & Brand, M. (2021). Diagnostic and classification considerations related to

compulsive sexual behavior disorder and problematic pornography use. Current Addiction

Reports, 8(3), 452-457.

Bale, C. (2011). Raunch or romance? Framing and interpreting the relationship between

sexualized culture and young people’s sexual health. Sex Education, 11(3), 303-313.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.590088.

Bender, P.K., Kim, E.-L. & Gentile, D.A. (2020). Gaming disorder in children and adolescents:

Risk factors and preventive approaches. Current Addiction Reports, 7(4),

-560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00337-5.

Brown, J.D. & L’Engle, K.L. (2009). X-rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated

with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research,

(1), 129-151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650208326465.

Caballero, A., Granberg, R. & Tseng, K.Y. (2016). Mechanisms contributing to prefrontal

cortex maturation during adolescence. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70,

-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.013.

Castro-Calvo, J., Cervigón-Carrasco, V., Ballester-Arnal, R. & Giménez-García, C.

(2021). Cognitive processes related to problematic pornography use (PPU): A systematic

review of experimental studies. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 13, 100345.

Coyne, S.M., Ward, L.M., Kroff, S.L., Davis, E.J., Holmgren, H.G., Jensen, … Essig,

L.W. (2019). Contributions of mainstream sexual media exposure to sexual attitudes,

perceived peer norms, and sexual behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Adolescent

Health, 64(4), 430-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.11.016.

Crabbe, M. & Flood, M. (2021). School-based education to address pornography’s influence

on young people: A proposed practice framework. American Journal of Sexuality

Education, 16(1), 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2020.1856744.

Daskalopoulou, A. & Zanette, M.C. (2020). Women’s consumption of pornography:

Pleasure, contestation, and empowerment. Sociology, 54(5), 969-986.

DeLamater, J. & Friedrich, W.N. (2002). Human sexual development. Journal of Sex

Research, 39(1), 10-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490209552113.

Foubert, J.D., Blanchard, W., Houston, M. & Williams, R.R. (2019). Pornography and

sexual violence. Handbook of sexual assault and sexual assault prevention, 109-127.

Frisch, M., Moseholm, E., Andersson, M., Andresen, J.B. & Graugaard, C. (2019). Sex i

Danmark. Nøglefund fra Projekt SEXUS.

https://files.projektsexus.dk/2019-10-26_SEXUS-rapport_2017-2018.pdf.

Gola, M., Kowalewska, E., Wordecha, M., Lew-Starowicz, M., Kraus, S. & Potenza,

M. (2018). Findings from the polish compulsive sexual behavior disorder field trial.

Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7, 72-73.

Gola, M., Lewczuk, K. & Skorko, M. (2016). What matters: Quantity or quality of pornography

use? Psychological and behavioral factors of seeking treatment for problematic

pornography use. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(5), 815-824.

Gola, M., Wordecha, M., Sescousse, G., Lew-Starowicz, M., Kossowski, B., Wypych,

M., … Marchewka, A. (2017). Can pornography be addictive? An fMRI study of

men seeking treatment for problematic pornography use. Neuropsychopharmacology,

(10), 2021-2031. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.78.

Horvath, M.A.H., Alys, L., Massey, K., Pina, A., Scally, M. & Adler, J.R. (2013). Basically

… Porn is Everywhere: A rapid Evidence Assessment on the Effects That Access

and Exposure to Pornography Has on Children and Young People [Monograph].

Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England. https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/10692/.

Kail, R.V. & Cavanaugh, J.C. (2018). Human Development: A Life-Span View. Cengage

Learning.

Kowalewska, E., Gola, M., Lew-Starowicz, M. & Kraus, S.W. (2022). Predictors of

compulsive sexual behavior among treatment-seeking women. Sexual Medicine,

(4), 100525.

Kraus, S.W., Voon, V. & Potenza, M.N. (2016). Should compulsive sexual behavior be

considered an addiction? Addiction, 111(12), 2097-2106.

Kulturministeriet (2022). Medieaftale for 2022-2025 – Den demokratiske samtale skal

styrkes.

Larsson, I. & Svedin, C.-G. (2002). Sexual experiences in childhood: Young adults’

recollections. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31(3), 263-273.

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015252903931.

Lee, H., Heller, A.S., Van Reekum, C.M., Nelson, B. & Davidson, R.J. (2012). Amygdala-

prefrontal coupling underlies individual differences in emotion regulation. Neuroimage,

(3), 1575-1581.

Lim, M.S.C., Carrotte, E.R. & Hellard, M.E. (2016). The impact of pornography on

gender-based violence, sexual health and well-being: What do we know? Journal of

Epidemiological Community Health, 70(1), 3-5

https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2015-205453.

Livingstone, S. & Smith, P.K. (2014). Annual research review: Harms experienced by

child users of online and mobile technologies: The nature, prevalence and management

of sexual and aggressive risks in the digital age. Journal of Child Psychology

and Psychiatry, 55(6), 635-654. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12197.

Martellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J.R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R. & Horvath, M.A.H.

(2016, June 15). ”I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it …”A Quantitative and

Qualitative Examination of the Impact of Online Pornography on the Values, Attitudes,

Beliefs and Behaviours of Children and Young People [Monograph]. Middlesex

University, NSPCC, OCC. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3382393.

McKee, A., Albury, K., Dunne, M., Grieshaber, S., Hartley, J., Lumby, C. & Mathews,

B. (2010). Healthy sexual development: A multidisciplinary framework for research.

International Journal of Sexual Health, 22(1), 14-19.

https://doi.org/10.1080/19317610903393043.

Mead, D. & Sharpe, M. (2018). Pornography and sexuality research papers at the 5th

international conference on behavioral addictions. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity,

(4), 248-268.

Mediesundhed for Børn og Unge (2021). Ny dansk viden om onlinepornografiske mediers

påvirkning af danske børn og unge. Mediesundhed for Børn og Unge, MyResearch,

Analyse Danmark.

Miller, D.J. & McBain, K.A. (2022). The content of contemporary, mainstream pornography:

A literature review of content analytic studies. American Journal of Sexuality

Education, 17(2), 219-256.

Opinium Research (2014). 500 Online Interviews Amongst UK Adults Aged 18. Institute

for Public Policy Research, UK.

Ottosen, M.H. & Andreasen, A.G. (2020). Børn og unges trivsel og brug af digitale medier.

VIVE-Viden til Velfærd. Det Nationale Forsknings- og Analysecenter for Velfærd.

Owens, E.W., Behun, R.J., Manning, J.C. & Reid, R.C. (2012). The impact of internet

pornography on adolescents: A review of the research. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity,

(1-2), 99-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720162.2012.660431.

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2006). Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit

material on the internet. Communication Research, 33(2), 178-204. https://doi.

org/10.1177/0093650205285369.

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2008). Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit internet

material and sexual preoccupancy: A three-wave panel study. Media Psychology,

(2), 207-234. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213260801994238.

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2009). Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit internet

material and notions of women as sex objects: Assessing causality and underlying

processes. Journal of Communication, 59(3), 407-433. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-

2009.01422.x.

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2010). Processes underlying the effects of adolescents’ use

of sexually explicit internet material: The role of perceived realism. Communication

Research, 37(3), 375-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650210362464

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2011). The use of sexually explicit internet material and its

antecedents: A longitudinal comparison of adolescents and adults. Archives of Sexual

Behavior, 40(5), 1015-1025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9644-x.

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P.M. (2016). Adolescents and pornography: A review of 20 years

of research. The Journal of Sex Research, 53(4-5), 509-531.

https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1143441.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816.

Rasmussen, P.K.B. & Søndergaard, D.M. (2021). Sexualized, platformed female bodies

in male online practices: Negotiating boundaries of masculinity, gendered positioning

and intimacy. MedieKultur: Journal of Media and Communication Research, 37(71),

-097.

Reid, R.C., Carpenter, B.N., Hook, J.N., Garos, S., Manning, J.C., Gilliland, R., … &

Fong, T. (2012). Report of findings in a DSM-5 field trial for hypersexual disorder.

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9(11), 2868-2877.

Sabina, C., Wolak, J. & Finkelhor, D. (2008). The nature and dynamics of internet pornography

exposure for youth. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(6), 691-693.

Schmidt, C., Morris, L.S., Kvamme, T.L., Hall, P., Birchard, T. & Voon, V. (2017). Compulsive

sexual behavior: Prefrontal and limbic volume and interactions. Human Brain

Mapping, 38(3), 1182-1190. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23447.

Seok, J.W. & Sohn, J.H. (2018). Gray matter deficits and altered resting-state connectivity in

the superior temporal gyrus among individuals with problematic hypersexual behavior.

Brain Research, 1684, 30-39.

Sescousse, G., Barbalat, G., Domenech, P. & Dreher, J.C. (2013). Imbalance in the sensitivity

to different types of rewards in pathological gambling. Brain, 136(8), 2527-

https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awt126.

Shaw, G.A., Dupree, J.L. & Neigh, G.N. (2020). Adolescent maturation of the prefrontal

cortex: Role of stress and sex in shaping adult risk for compromise. Genes, Brain and

Behavior, 19(3), e12626. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12626.

Similarweb LTD. (2022, August 23). Top Websites Ranking.

Stanley, N., Barter, C., Wood, M., Aghtaie, N., Larkins, C., Lanau, A. & Överlien,

C. (2018). Pornography, sexual coercion and abuse and sexting in young people’s

intimate relationships: A european study. Journal of interpersonal violence, 33(19),

-2944.

Svedin, C.G., Åkerman, I. & Priebe, G. (2011). Frequent users of pornography. A population

based epidemiological study of swedish male adolescents. Journal of Adolescence,

(4), 779-788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.04.010.

The Digital Economy Act 2017, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/contents/

enacted.

Thurman, N. & Obster, F. (2021). The regulation of internet pornography: What a survey

of under-18s tells us about the necessity for and potential efficacy of emerging legislative

approaches. Policy & Internet, 13(3), 415-432.

Wéry, A., Vogelaere, K., Challet-Bouju, G., Poudat, F.X., Caillon, J., Lever, D., … Grall-

Bronnec, M. (2016). Characteristics of self-identified sexual addicts in a behavioral

addiction outpatient clinic. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4), 623-630.

World Health Organization (2018). International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision

(ICD-11). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27774812/.

Downloads

Published

2023-05-10

How to Cite

Schmidt, C., & Bender, P. (2023). Developmental risks in children’s exposure to Internet pornography. Psyke & Logos, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v43i2.137305