Pornography Use, Mental Health and Sexual Aggression Among Adolescents

• In Event: Sex Offenders and Criminal Careers

Abstract

There has been an ongoing debate regarding the effect of pornography on aggressive behavior (Allen, D'Alessio, and Brezgel 2006; Hald and Malamuth 2008, Malamuth, Addison and Koss 2000). However, little work has examined the effect of pornography use on adolescent behavior (Ybarra et. al. 2011) nor the potentially negative impacts of such exposure on their mental health status. Utilizing data collected by the SHARE study, this paper measures and examines the impact of pornography use, in a variety of available forms, on sexual aggression, delinquent behavior and teen mental health. The SHARE study data represent the first year of a three-year longitudinal study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Findings will be presented based on an analysis of data collected from a sample of 1,236 students in 17 middle and high schools, stratified by community violence and socioeconomic characteristics. A sample of 6th and 9th grade students was randomly selected to participate in written surveys administered one time per year for three years. Multivariate analyses of the interrelationship of these factors will be presented and discussed.

Authors

• Roger M. Kernsmith, Eastern Michigan University

• Ashley Wiegand, Eastern Michigan University

• Joanne Smith-Darden, Wayne State University

• Poco Kernsmith, Wayne State University