A Meta-Analysis of Pornography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies: Pornography and Sexual Aggression
Abstract
Whether pornography consumption is a reliable correlate of sexually aggressive behavior continues to be debated. Meta-analyses of experimental studies have found effects on aggressive behavior and attitudes. That pornography consumption correlates with aggressive attitudes in naturalistic studies has also been found. Yet, no meta-analysis has addressed the question motivating this body of work: Is pornography consumption correlated with committing actual acts of sexual aggression? 22 studies from 7 different countries were analyzed. Consumption was associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.
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Adolescent pornography consumption can influence adolescent sexual violence, with this tendency heightened when the material is violent.
“Adolescent pornography consumption can influence adolescent sexual violence (Rostad, GittinsStone, Huntington, et al., 2019; Waterman, Wesche, Morris, Edwards, & Banyard, 2022; Wright, Tokunaga, & Kraus, 2016; Ybarra, Mitchell, Hamburger, Diener-West, & Leaf, 2011; Ybarra & Thompson, 2018), with this tendency heightened when the material is violent (e.g., Ybarra et al., 2011).”
From Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey (2024) · cites this paper as Wright, Tokunaga, & Kraus, 2016
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Pornography Consumption and Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis: Pornography and Satisfaction
Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., Kraus, A., & Klann, E. (2017) · Human Communication Research · doi:10.1111/hcre.12108 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
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Jiang, X., Wu, Y., Zhang, K., Bőthe, B., Hong, Y., & Chen, L. (2022) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2022.00065 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Communication
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2015-12-29
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 183-205
- ISSN
- 0021-9916 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2201527679
- Cited by
- 379
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 8 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Communication (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- pornography use, sexual aggression, sexual violence, aggression, aggressive attitudes, violent content, media influence, general population
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