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Pornography and Sexual Violence

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Handbook of Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault Prevention

Abstract

The availability, affordability, and accessibility of today’s pornography are ubiquitous. As rates of pornography use and the interactivity of the media have increased, their effects are becoming better understood. In this chapter, we review relevant research on the connection between sexual violence and pornography. We begin by discussing the general link between pornography use and violent behavior. Next, we explore the effects of pornography on adolescents. Later, we discuss how on-camera consent normalizes the violent behaviors. Next, we discuss violence in pornography across culture, gender inequality, and various types of pornography. When discussing pornography and men’s perpetration of sexual violence, we emphasize the importance of preexisting risk factors for sexual violence. Later, we discuss how pornography and bystander intervention intersect, abuse in intimate relationships, and vicious cycles of harm. Finally, we discuss children who appear in pornography and children who use pornography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Union University, Jackson, TN, USA

    John D. Foubert

  2. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Will Blanchard, Michael Houston & Richard R. Williams Jr.

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  1. John D. Foubert
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  2. Will Blanchard
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA

    William T. O’Donohue

  2. Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Paul A. Schewe

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Foubert, J.D., Blanchard, W., Houston, M., Williams, R.R. (2019). Pornography and Sexual Violence. In: O’Donohue, W.T., Schewe, P.A. (eds) Handbook of Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23645-8_7

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