Porn and Sexism

Two recent surveys suggest a link between watching porn and subscribing to the belief that women are sex objects. These surveys are concerning for anyone interested in a more equitable future. This includes parents who would like their children to grow to have relationships based on love and not exploitation.  

Age of Exposure to Porn

A survey of 330 men between the ages of 17 and 54 revealed interesting connections between exposure to pornography and sexism. Doctoral student Alyssa Bischmann reported the findings. “We found that the younger a man was when he first viewed pornography, the more likely he was to want power over women. The older a man was when he first viewed pornography, the more likely he would want to engage in playboy behavior,” said Bischmann. [1]

Explicit Porn and Objectification

A separate Dutch survey studied the behavior of 745 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18. The survey found a link between explicit porn and viewing women as sex objects. The survey included both young men (48%) and young women (52%). The youth who viewed sexually explicit material were more likely to consider women to be sex objects. This was true for both young men and young women. The researchers were not able to identify whether the viewing the sexually explicit material caused the youth to view women as sex objects or if viewing women as sex objects caused them to seek out sexually explicit material.

The researchers indicated that there was a cause for concern either way. The study notes that most Western counties have been striving for greater sexual equality for 30 years. The result of these efforts is that issues such as sexual exploitation have entered the public consciousness.

The survey concluded, “If we now see that—among both female and male adolescents—notions of women as sex objects are linked with exposure especially to sexually explicit material, we may possibly witness a media-related change in gender and sexual relations.” [2]

If a young man in your life is battling porn addiction, help is available. Please contact Oxbow Academy to learn more about our program and resources to help.