Shaping Sexual Behaviors & Sexual Scripts

Open Access: No.

Abstract

Psychosocial outcomes related to pornography use are subject to considerable debate. Some users experience patterns of pornography use that go hand in hand with negative outcomes, while others do not, and little is known about how these negative outcomes come about. To investigate whether parenting experience could play a role, a survey of 411 individuals’ experience of parenting style, pornography use and psychosocial outcome variables (life satisfaction, post-use guilt and shame, and rape myth acceptance) was conducted. Results showed that permissive parenting style was associated with pornography use, and pornography use was significantly associated with lower life-satisfaction, greater rape-myth acceptance and decreased post-use guilt and shame. Further, the relationship between parenting variables and pornography use was not mediated by early exposure to pornography. Moderation analyses suggested that permissive parenting style enhanced the relationship between pornography use and rape myth acceptance, while authoritative parenting style, which is balanced and responsive, diminished the relationship between pornography use and negative emotional outcomes (lower life satisfaction, guilt and shame). These findings are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms for the influence of parenting style.

Relevance

This study found that pornography use was associated with “lower levels of life-satisfaction” and “higher rape myth acceptance.” The study also found that permissive parenting styles showed “a significant association with pornography use.”

(Permissive parenting is generally defined as lenient and lacking the setting of boundaries; it is contrasted with authoritarian parenting, which is directive, lacking care, and non-responsive to a child’s needs, and authoritative parenting – which is most effective – which is both attentive to a child’s needs and establishes appropriate boundaries).

Citation

Bosua, E., & Deighton, R.M. (2025). Ripples from Early Life? Examining Links Between Pornography Use, Psychological Outcomes, and Parenting Style. Sexuality & Culture. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10443-z