Violence
Sexual Double Standards and Violence in Intimate Partner Relationships: The Role of Empathy in the Consumption of Online Sexual Content.
Open Access: No.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the fit of an explanatory theoretical model of the relationship between sexual double standards (SDS) and violence in intimate partner relationships when empathy and online access to sexual material are taken into account. Cluster sampling was used to select 490 university students for participation in the study. The mean age of the participants was 21.89 years (SD = 3.52) and 70% were female. A battery of questionnaires was administered comprising the SDS scale, the sexuality on the internet and social networks questionnaire (CSRI-1), interpersonal reactivity index, and the intimate partner violence (IPV) questionnaire. The questionnaires were administered in a group-classroom setting. The results show that empathy acts as a protective and mediating variable because it reduces the impact of online sexual material on violent behavior. In addition, it was seen that the consumption of online sexual material has a direct impact on IPV and SDS. These findings point to the importance of taking empathy and the consumption of online sexual material into account in the development of prevention and intervention programs for tackling violence in young couples.
Relevance
This study found that the the use of pornography was directly related to “high levels” of the sexual double standard. The use of pornography, too, appeared to have a “direct amplifying impact” on the sexual double standard.
The study also found that people with less empathy consume more pornography. Additionally, “the more empathic the person, the less likely they are to perpetrate IPV [intimate partner violence]; and the more online sexual material the person consumes, the greater the likelihood of their perpetrating violent acts in intimate partnerships.” Moreover, “regardless of the degree of empathy the person showed, the consumption of online sexual material, in itself, seems to have explanatory significance regarding violence in intimate partner relationships.”
Citation
González-Marugán, E., & Felipe-Castaño, E. (2025). Sexual Double Standards and Violence in Intimate Partner Relationships: The Role of Empathy in the Consumption of Online Sexual Content. Journal of interpersonal violence, 40(19-20), 4733–4753. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241298938
