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Sep 10, 2024 02:10 PM IST
A new study has revealed different types of porn viewers, showing that watching violent porn leads to psychopathic traits and increased sexual aggression.
Pornographic consumption is often linked to sexual aggression. The question of the harmful effects of pornography has traditionally focused on how much is watched, rather than what kind of porn. Frequency has long been central to understanding the consequences of porn viewing, until a US study published in the journal Psychology of Violence elaborated on the type of porn consumed and its implications.
Those who watch violent porn are more likely to commit sexual aggression in real life than those they watch. The researchers suggested that the type of content viewed is more important than frequency in understanding the link to sexual aggression.
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Three profiles of pornography
The researchers identified three distinct patterns of pornography use in their study, based on two factors: frequency and type of content. This is one of the first studies to understand porn beyond frequency of consumption. The first profile was ‘frequent pornography viewers’, who rarely or almost never watched porn. The ‘average pornography viewers’ regularly watched nonviolent porn, and occasionally watched violent porn. The last group, “violent pornography viewers”, is the most problematic of the three, as they regularly consume violent and degrading content.
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Violent porn increases sexual aggression
Those who watch violent pornography often replicate the sexual violence they see on screen in their real lives. This group is more violent than the other two profiles. Researchers suggest that those who watch violent porn are more likely to be more misogynistic and hostile towards women. They believe in rape myths, such as the most infamous ‘The victim asked to be raped because her clothes were open.’
Violent porn viewers struggle to stay in a serious relationship and opt for casual relationships instead. Violent porn normalises violence, distorting viewers’ perception of healthy relationships. They also tend to have psychopathic traits such as showing an exaggerated sense of self-worth, being highly manipulative, and lacking empathy or remorse. Violent porn viewers struggle to regulate their emotions and often lash out at others as a means of asserting themselves. Here the type of content consumed is a major risk factor contributing to such behaviour.
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