Relationships between Exposure to Online Pornography, Psychological Well-Being and Sexual Permissiveness among Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents: a Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

Abstract

With the increased accessibility to the Internet, adolescents can access the online pornography intentionally and accidentally. The purposes of this study were (a) to examine the relationships of exposure to online pornography to subsequent psychological well-being (depression and life satisfaction) and sexual permissive attitudes and (b) to explore whether these relationships differ by the nature of exposure. A sample of 1401 early Chinese adolescents participated a three-wave longitudinal study. Results from the cross-lagged models suggested that the effects of online pornography differ by the nature of exposure. The present study sheds light on the dynamic relationships between exposure to online pornography, depression, life satisfaction and permissiveness sexual attitudes.