Acce ss, consumption and consequences of porn use among adolescents: new challenges for affective-sexual education

Abstract

This article reports the results of the mixed approach study on access, consumption and consequences of new pornography, amongst the teenagers. The previous foundation is based on an international review of research developed the last 10 years, confirming the relevance of pornography consumption has on the structure of the sexual imaginary of teenagers, based on the impact on the distorted perception of sexuality, the influence on the attitudes and the consequences on behaviour, especially on those who consume regularly. It was carried out with compulsory and post-compulsory secondary school students of the Balearic Islands (13-18 years old), with a statistically representative sample (N=3.629), balanced by sex, age groups and territorial areas. The method includes two semistructured surveys, the students, and their families, based on proven sociological surveys, as well as calibrated instruments to evaluate the problematic consumption. Discussion groups and in-depth interviews were also carried out with experts from all over Spain. The main results are the following: access ages are less than 10 years for 20%, with a normalization of consumption habits around 13 years. The ages of access by sex have practically been equalized, but the frequency and intensity of consumption continues to be significantly different by sex. The type of pornography they consume is basically hardcore, presenting sexual violence. The motivations for consumption focus on the response to sexual curiosity, the search for behavioural guidance and the stimulus for masturbation, all of this almost in the absence of adequate emotional and sexual education information. The level of problematic consumption, with an impact on subjective well-being (anxiety states, behavioural dependence on consumption, etc.) affects 16.5% of the sample, with a significant difference by sex.