Adolescents’ Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of online exposure to pornography in European adolescents and its relationship to sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates. A cross-sectional school-based survey of 10,930 adolescents (5211 males/5719 females), aged 14–17 years old (mean age 15.8 ± 0.7) was carried out in six European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iceland). Anonymous self-completed questionnaires covered exposure to pornography, internet use and dysfunctional internet behavior, and psychopathological syndromes (measured by Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report). The prevalence of any online exposure to pornography was 59% overall and 24% for exposure at least once a week. The likelihood of online exposure to pornography was greater in male adolescents, heavier internet users, and those who displayed dysfunctional internet behavior. Country-specific analyses confirmed that the gender effect existed in every country, although its strength varied, from an odds ratio of 1.88 in Poland to 14.9 in Greece. Online exposure to pornography was shown to be associated with externalizing problem scale scores, especially rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, but also associated with higher scores in competences, namely activities and social competence. Exposure to pornography is ubiquitous, more relevant to boys, and is associated with both positive qualities/competences and externalizing behavioral problems.

Exposure to Sexually Explicit Materials and Feelings after Exposure among Adolescents in Nine European Countries: The Role of Individual Factors and Social Characteristics

“…Exposure to sexually explicit materials in our study varied from 32 to 65%, and on average, 48% of adolescents reported that they had seen some sexually explicit materials in the past year, online or offline. This prevalence is slightly lower than that reported in previous research (see, for example, Andrie et al, 2021 who asked adolescents about sexually explicit media and Donevan et al, 2021 who inquired about watching pornography). One possible explanation for the lower rates in our sample might be that the mean age of our sample was 14.04 years old, whereas both of the other studies sampled high schoolers, and exposure to sexually explicit materials in known to increase with age (Ševčíková et al, 2014 ; Perry & Heyward, 2017 ; Ma et al, 2017a ).…”

“…As adolescents explore their sexuality, it is normative for them to seek out sexually explicit materials offline (Steinberg et al, 2019 ) as well as online (Subrahmanyam & Šmahel, 2011 ). Across Europe, there is variability in adolescents’ reported exposure to sexually explicit materials as a function of both country and gender (Andrie et al, 2021 ; Donevan et al, 2022 ; Ševčíková & Daneback, 2014 ; Šmahel et al, 2020 ). Their reasons for seeking sexually explicit materials are similarly varied and include wanting to be sexually aroused, satisfying curiosity about sex, being in a romantic relationship, wanting to learn more about it, and for some, a type of friendly socialization (Löfgren-Mårtenson & Månsson, 2010 ; Ševčíková & Daneback, 2014 ; Smith, 2013 ).…”

Developing good practice indicators to assist mental health practitioners to converse with young people about their online activities and impact on mental health: a two-panel mixed-methods Delphi study

“…Some topics, such as young people’s use of online pornography and online gambling, were not included in the GPIs despite indication that these online activities are relevant to young people’s mental wellbeing [ 20 , 21 ]. Such activities are patterned by characteristics including sex and the underrepresentation of male participants in our panel may have led to an underestimation of importance.…”

Some Considerations about Pornography Watching in Early Adolescence

“…In previous studies, orientated by the Developmental Psychopathology framework, we tried to raise the argument that Internet use in young subjects poses a number of risks, regardless of how often and how long the Web is used [12]. In the case of pornography consumption, the same pattern appears to delineate (in our opinion), with several studies reporting pornography use by young adolescents as a cultural/social phenomenon, almost ignoring possible risks, if not in the case of excessive use [13].…”