Adolescent Pornography: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This narrative review is based on a literature search on PsycIN-FO and PubMed that involved entering the terms adolescent pornography. Following exclusion criteria, 31 papers could be classified as adolescent pornography studies including research on the prevalence, effects and risk factors for pornography. Most of the studies have been conducted in other countries where the prevalence of adolescent pornography has ranged from 8%-22% for habitual use. The effects of pornography have included legal problems, permissive attitudes and unrealistic expectations regarding sex as well as problematic behaviors including victimization and assault. The predictor or risk variables have included male gender, family dysfunction and sensation-seeking. Like other literature on adolescent problems, this research is limited by primarily deriving from self-report and parent report and by the absence of longitudinal data that might inform whether the data being reported are effects of or risk factors for adolescent pornography and the need for prevention/intervention research.