Sexuality Education & Therapy with Children
Let us educate on pornography: Young education students’ representations of pornography.
Open Access: No.
Abstract
Introduction. Although pornography has existed throughout human history, contemporary society finds itself immersed in a digital era that significantly facilitates its accessibility. This heightened ease of access particularly affects the perceptions and practices of sexuality among youngsters. In this context, the present study aimed to explore the representations of pornography among education students.
Methods. A total of 276 university students participated by completing a free association exercise based on the grid elaboration method (GEM).
Results. Future educators distance themselves from pornography, perceiving it as a medium that projects an unrealistic portrayal of reality. Moreover, participants also linked pornography to situations of violence, exploitation, and denigration of women. However, students also show a direct relationship with pornography, using it to both masturbate and learn about sex, particularly in the case of men. Educational students also recognize the influence of pornography on their own sexual life and knowledge. Finally, they report that pornography produces mixed emotions such as pleasure, disgust, fear, and guilt.
Conclusions and Policy Implications. This study highlights the urgent need to equip future education professionals with the necessary tools for reflective engagement with pornography and its consumption, paving the way for a more thoughtful and informed approach to educating on this subject.
Relevance
“One of the most significant findings of this study is the ambivalent relationship that young future educators have with pornography. On the one hand, they maintain a distant and critical perspective, associating pornography with violence, sexual exploitation, denigration of women, and disconnection from real life and real bodies. However, on the other hand, they utilize it for both masturbation and as a source of pleasure and sexual education.” In fact, some of the participants in the study admitted “that they cannot masturbate without watching pornography.”
The participants also indicate that they watch pornography because of “the inadequate provision of affective-sexual education for young individuals, let alone a platform where sex can be talked about explicitly. They assert that sex is not discussed openly within either families or in the affective-sexual education that is offered in schools.”
“Consequently, we stress the importance of implementing high-quality affective-sexual education rooted in emotional awareness and a gender perspective, not only for children but also for current and future educators…we need to equip educators with the tools to address the issue of pornography with both adolescents and younger children. However, as a first step, it is necessary to encourage these future educators to reflect on the possible impact of pornography on young people in general, as well as on their own perceptions, while taking into account the gender perspective.”
Citation
Idoiaga-Mondragon, N., Eiguren Munitis, A., Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N., & Alonso Saez, I. (2025). Let us educate on pornography: Young education students’ representations of pornography. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 22(1), 268–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00930-z
