Current Perspectives on Pornography Use by Individuals Convicted of a Sexual Offense

Purpose of Review This review examines the literature on the impact of pornography use by individuals convicted of sexual offenses; specifically, it highlights relevant research regarding the effect pornography use has on sexual offense recidivism and explores the implications for treatment and supe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current psychiatry reports 2022-11, Vol.24 (11), p.671-678
Main Authors: Wescott, Seth, Kosmala, Kimberly
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aggression
Child
Child Abuse, Sexual
Erotica
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Pornography & obscenity
Psychiatry
Recidivism
Risk Factors
Section Editors
Sex crimes
Sex Offenses
Sexual Behavior
Sexual Disorders (L E Marshall and H Moulden
Supervision
Topical Collection on Sexual Disorders
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Purpose of Review This review examines the literature on the impact of pornography use by individuals convicted of sexual offenses; specifically, it highlights relevant research regarding the effect pornography use has on sexual offense recidivism and explores the implications for treatment and supervision. Recent Findings The current literature suggests that the use of pornography, by itself, does not consistently increase risk for sexual recidivism. Research suggests that pornography use may increase risk for sexual recidivism among adult males who have been assessed as high-risk, while the same cannot be said for low-risk adult males. Pornography may reinforce attitudes supportive of sexual aggression, such as hostility and sexual preoccupation, both variables that have been shown to relate to further acts of sexual offending. Pornography use is more predictive of risk when matched to the type of offense. Summary The extent to which pornography impacts the conceptualization of risk (and therefore treatment and supervision plans) depends on several factors such as the type of pornographic material viewed, the congruence of that material with the individual’s offending history, and the expectations regarding the use of pornography within the treatment/supervision context.
ISSN:1523-3812
1535-1645
DOI:10.1007/s11920-022-01374-9