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Shaping Sexual Behaviors & Sexual Scripts

Frequent users of pornography: A population based epidemiological study of Swedish male adolescents

Frequent users of pornography. A population based epidemiological study of Swedish male adolescentsFull Article Name: Frequent Users of Pornography. A Population Based Epidemiological Study of Swedish Male Adolescents

Open Access: No

Abstract

Frequent use of pornography has not been sufficiently studied before. In a Swedish survey 2015 male students aged 18 years participated. A group of frequent users of pornography (N = 200, 10.5%) were studied with respect to background and psychosocial correlates. The frequent users had a more positive attitude to pornography, were more often “turned on” viewing pornography and viewed more often advanced forms of pornography. Frequent use was also associated with many problem behaviours. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that frequent users of pornography were more likely to be living in a large city, consuming alcohol more often, having greater sexual desire and had more often sold sex than other boys of the same age. High frequent viewing of pornography may be seen as a problematic behaviour that needs more attention from both parents and teachers and also to be addressed in clinical interviews.

Relevance

The frequent users of pornography reported “significantly more” use of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, including tobacco. They reported more frequent theft (e.g., car, expensive items), and missing school. Sexually, pornography users had “significantly” earlier sexual debut, a “higher percentage” of prostitution (selling and buying), and more than three times the rate of sexual coercion. Additionally, “frequent users viewed all forms of pornography more often, especially advanced or more deviant forms of pornography such as violent pornography, animal pornography and child pornography.”

Citation

Svedin, C. G., Akerman, I., & Priebe, G. (2011). Frequent users of pornography: A population based epidemiological study of Swedish male adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 34(4), 779-788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.04.010