Violence

Open Access: Yes.

Abstract

Using data collected from 1,880 heterosexual men and women residing in the United States, this study investigated the associations among gender, pornography consumption, and 20 sexual behaviors observed in popular pornography. Acts were grouped according to whether participants reported engaging or being interested in trying specific sexual behaviors as the (a) aggressor (e.g., hairpulling, spanking, or choking), (b) target (e.g., being spanked or choked), or (c) uncommon and/or degrading sexual activity (e.g., male ejaculation in female partner’s mouth, anal sex, double penetration, and ass-to-mouth). Using sexual script theory, we hypothesized greater use of pornography would be associated with greater likelihood of both having engaged in and interest in engaging in these sexual behaviors. We further hypothesized gender differences consistent with pornographic sexual scripts that frequently portray men as aggressors and women as targets of aggression. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed significant main effects for gender and pornography use on the three categories of sexual behavior but no significant interactions. Higher pornography use was associated with greater likelihood of both engaging and being interested in trying all categories of sexual behavior. Men were more likely than women to have engaged in aggressive and degrading/uncommon behaviors, and women were more likely than men to have engaged in target behaviors. However, men were more interested than women in trying all three categories of sexual behavior. Results provide partial support for sexual script theory; while higher pornography use increased interest and prior engagement in pornography-like sexual behavior, the increases in types of sexual behavior (aggressor, target, or uncommon/degrading) were not moderated by gender.

Relevance

The study asked, in part, about six aggressive behaviors: spanking, pulling hair, slapping a partner, choking, tying up a partner, and role-playing rape. It asked about seven target behaviors: being spanked lightly, being spanked hard enough to leave marks, hairpulling, face slapping, choking, being tied up by a partner, and role-playing being raped. The study also asked about degrading/uncommon behaviors: double penetration, anal sex, ass-to-mouth, oral sex (woman kneeling, man standing), ejaculation on a woman’s face, and name-calling (e.g., slut, whore).

“Overall, we found broad support for sexual script theory. Multivariate analyses demonstrated significant associations between higher pornography use and higher engagement in all three types of sexual behaviors: aggressor, target, and degrading/uncommon.” “We also found significant associations between higher pornography use and higher desire to engage in all three types of sexual behaviors (aggressor, target, and degrading/uncommon) among participants who had not yet tried these. Taken together, results suggest higher pornography use is associated with higher engagement in or interest in trying sexual behavior consistent with pornographic scripts.”

“Men were significantly more likely to have tried aggressor sexual behaviors frequently portrayed in pornography, including spanking a partner, slapping or choking a partner, tying a partner up, and role-playing the scenario of forcing a partner into sex. On the other hand, women were more likely to have been targets of aggression, especially spanking lightly and hairpulling…On the whole, men were more likely to have engaged in behaviors representing female degradation, including ass-to-mouth and calling their female partners names.”

“We did not find significant interactions between gender and pornography use when predicting categories of sexual behavior, regardless of whether we assessed behaviors the participant reported having done in the past or behaviors the participant had not done but had interest in doing.”

“Overall, our results indicate heterosexual men and women who use pornography more frequently are more likely to have tried or have an interest in trying sexual behaviors most frequently seen in pornography. Many of these sexual behaviors involve some level of aggression ranging from light slapping to choking or involve sexual behaviors which can present health consequences to the female body such as double anal penetration or ass-to-mouth.”

“For the smaller number of women who do watch pornography, their sexual scripts are more in tune with men’s; they too are interested in trying or have tried more pornographic behaviors. However, for women, who are most often the targets of the sexually aggressive behavior or are engaged in a sex act that is more taxing on their body, the health concerns implicit in pornographic sex acts are more consequential. This chasm between men and women’s sexual interests and attendant gendered health implications raise concerns related to sex education, consent, and public health.”

Citation

Bridges, A. J., Sun, C. F., Ezzell, M. B., & Johnson, J. (2016). Sexual Scripts and the Sexual Behavior of Men and Women Who Use Pornography. Sexualization, Media, & Society, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2374623816668275