Pornography use, sexual behaviours, and emotional intelligence in italian adolescents

Abstract

Sexually explicit material (SEM) is easily accessed by adolescents. This cross-sectional study examined the characteristics of 413 Italian adolescents (aged 17-22, 55% female) who use SEM. We examined the associations of SEM use with relationship status, religiosity, and emotional intelligence. All of the respondents reported accessing SEM while underage, with males using SEM more than females and accessing SEM at an earlier age; earlier exposure to SEM was also found to influence later SEM use. The reasons for watching pornography also differed be-tween the genders. There was a partial connection between the EQ-I:YV, SEM use, and recent sexual activity. The gender differences in terms of the prevalence and reasons for the use of SEM may be connected to a more general gender cultural stereotype.

The (Un)Equal Effect of Binary Socialisation on Adolescents’ Exposure to Pornography: Girls’ Empowerment and Boys’ Sexism from a New Representative National Survey

“…This result is in contrast with the findings of other studies, which show an overall effect of religious beliefs in pornography consumption stronger on boys [23,24]. However, the fact that religion lowers pornography consumption only among girls can be linked to the Judeo-Christian androcentrism that denies women the experience of sexual pleasure, restricting their sexual role to reproductive functions [50]. At the last stage of the decision tree, the predictor of higher frequency of pornography use among boys is the time spent on social media, confirming the association between pornography consumption and hyperconnection highlighted by other studies [14].…”