Violence
Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis Update.
Open Access: No
Abstract
This current study analyzes the content of popular pornographic videos, with the objectives of updating depictions of aggression, degradation, and sexual practices and comparing the study’s results to previous content analysis studies. Findings indicate high levels of aggression in pornography in both verbal and physical forms. Of the 304 scenes analyzed, 88.2% contained physical aggression, principally spanking, gagging, and slapping, while 48.7% of scenes contained verbal aggression, primarily name-calling. Perpetrators of aggression were usually male, whereas targets of aggression were overwhelmingly female. Targets most often showed pleasure or responded neutrally to the aggression.
Relevance
Only 10% of all scenes analyzed did not contain an aggressive act. On average, each scene depicted almost 12 instances of verbal and/or physical aggression. “By far, the most common verbally aggressive act was name calling (e.g., “bitch,” “slut”).” The most common physical acts of violence were spanking, gagging, and open-hand slapping; other physically aggressive acts included hairpulling, choking, and bondage or confinement.
Overwhelmingly, women were the targets and men the perpetrators. In 95% of the instances, the target of aggression responded with expressions of pleasure or neutrally. Women were “significantly more likely” to express pleasure at aggression; men were four times more likely to express displeasure.
Citation
Bridges, 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