Mental Health

Introduction The focus of this brief literature review is to explore whether there is a relationship between the unique anatomical and physiological paradigms of the adolescent brain and an increased sensitivity to sexually explicit material.

Methods The EBSCO Research Data bases were searched using the following key terms: adolescence, adolescent brain development, neuroplasticity, sexually explicit material, sexualization, and pornography.

Results The literature highlighted several components of the adolescent brain that are different than the mature brain. These include: an immature prefrontal cortex and over-responsive limbic and striatal circuits, heightened period for neuroplasticity, overactive dopamine system, a pronounced HPA axis, augmented levels of testosterone, and the unique impact of steroid hormones. The physiological response to sexually explicit material is delineated. The overlap of key areas associated with the unique adolescent brain development and sexually explicit material is noteworthy. A working model summary that compares the response of the adult and adolescent brain to the same sexually explicit stimulus is outlined.

Conclusions The literature suggests that the adolescent brain may indeed be more sensitive to sexually explicit material, but due to a lack of empirical studies this question cannot be answered definitively. Suggestions for future research are given to further advance the work in this applicable field of today.

Relevance

“Could adolescents be more sensitive to sexually explicit material due to the unique anatomical and physiological paradigms of the adolescent brain? The current literature suggests that the  adolescent brain may indeed be more sensitive to sexually explicit material.”

Citation

Brown, J. A., & Wisco, J. J. (2019). The components of the adolescent brain and its unique sensitivity to sexually explicit material. Journal of Adolescence, 72, 10–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.01.006