Child Advocacy Workers’ Accounts of the Connections Between Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse

• In Event: 40206 - Childhood at a Crossroads: The Battle Over Children’s Innocence and Agency

Abstract

Despite high rates of pornography exposure in youth, noted associations between child pornography and pedophilic abuse perpetration, and theoretical articles suggesting links, relatively little research explores youth exposure to pornography and child sexual abuse (CSA). The aim of this research was to analyze the perspectives of seasoned providers of support to survivors of CSA about the possible links between pornography and the sexual abuse of children. We identified fifty frontline child advocacy support professionals from a range of countries and settings representing diverse gender and racial identities, each with at least five years of experience in the field. We engaged qualitative analysis of fifty in-depth, semi-structured interviews, eight focus group discussions, and post-interview survey. Based on participants’ accounts, a conceptual model of the possible connections between pornography and CSA was developed. The model illustrates various connections between risk factors, pornography, potential “interrupters,” and CSA, highlighting the circular nature of these connections. Respondents reported connections between pornography and CSA, felt that pornography provided part of the answer to explaining shifts in witnessed patterns of abuse, and felt things could be done to aid both prevention and response in relation to CSA including: increased education and training and addressing of both systemic (distal) and more individual (proximal) risks that contribute to CSA and to youth pornography exposure and consumption.

Authors

• Matthew B. Ezzell, James Madison University

• Sarah Aadahl, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Ana J Bridges, University of Arkansas

• Jennifer A. Johnson, Virginia Tech

• Elizabeth Faith Hodges, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Chyng Feng Sun