Shaping Sexual Behaviors & Sexual Scripts
Social Bonds and Internet Pornographic Exposure Among Adolescents
Full Article Title: Social Bonds and Internet Pornographic Exposure Among Adolescents
Open Access: No
Abstract
Concern has grown regarding possible harm to the social and psychological development of children and adolescents exposed to Internet pornography. Parents, academics and researchers have documented pornography from the supply side, assuming that its availability explains consumption satisfactorily. The current paper explored the user’s dimension, probing whether pornography consumers differed from other Internet users, as well as the social characteristics of adolescent frequent pornography consumers. Data from a 2004 survey of a national representative sample of the adolescent population in Israel were used (n = 998). Adolescent frequent users of the Internet for pornography were found to differ in many social characteristics from the group that used the Internet for information, social communication and entertainment. Weak ties to mainstream social institutions were characteristic of the former group but not of the latter. X-rated material consumers proved to be a distinct sub-group at risk of deviant behaviour.
Relevance
Adolescents “using the Internet for pornography appear less socially integrated and more socially marginal. They express less commitment to their families, fewer pro-social attitudes, and less attachment to school than their fellows who do not use the Internet for” pornography. The same is true for adolescents with aggressive behavior. “The results indicate that youth lacking social integration and positive attitudes to society are at risk of deviant behaviours” – specifically, pornography and aggression. The study found that “weak social ties were predictors of both aggressive behaviour and pornographic consumption, indicating the existence of a common set of characteristics of these risk activities. The results have clinical implications as they suggest that youth that are frequent users of the Internet for pornography may be involved in other risk behaviours. Thus, preventing risk behaviour among youth, including exposure to pornography, should address improving attachments to school and family.”