Mental Health
Adolescents’ Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries.
Open Access: Yes.
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of online exposure to pornography in European adolescents and its relationship to sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates. A cross-sectional school-based survey of 10,930 adolescents (5211 males/5719 females), aged 14-17 years old (mean age 15.8 ± 0.7) was carried out in six European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iceland). Anonymous self-completed questionnaires covered exposure to pornography, internet use and dysfunctional internet behavior, and psychopathological syndromes (measured by Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report). The prevalence of any online exposure to pornography was 59% overall and 24% for exposure at least once a week. The likelihood of online exposure to pornography was greater in male adolescents, heavier internet users, and those who displayed dysfunctional internet behavior. Country-specific analyses confirmed that the gender effect existed in every country, although its strength varied, from an odds ratio of 1.88 in Poland to 14.9 in Greece. Online exposure to pornography was shown to be associated with externalizing problem scale scores, especially rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, but also associated with higher scores in competences, namely activities and social competence. Exposure to pornography is ubiquitous, more relevant to boys, and is associated with both positive qualities/competences and externalizing behavioral problems.
Relevance
This large study of more than 10,000 adolescents across Europe found that “adolescents with DIB [dysfunctional internet behavior] were twice as likely to have been frequently exposed to internet pornography than those who showed functional internet behavior.”
The study assessed a range of behavioral and emotional problems and found that “All problem scales scores were higher among pornography viewers than non-viewers.” The largest effect sizes for externalizing problems were for rule-breaking and aggressive behavior; the largest for internalizing problems was for attention and thought problems .”
“Interestingly, adolescents who reported exposure to pornography also received significantly higher scores in Activities and Social Competence scales compared to their peers who reported no exposure, indicating a behavioral pattern characterized by behavioral activation or approach orientation. It may be the case that some adolescents with all-round activity, i.e., offline socially active and participating in sports and other activities, may also be (over)active online, thus also actively seeking out pornographic material.”
Citation
Andrie, E. K., Sakou, I. I., Tzavela, E. C., Richardson, C., & Tsitsika, A. K. (2021). Adolescents’ Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries. Children, 8(10), Article 925. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8100925
