Pornography, Misogyny, And Sexual Violence: Is There A Link Between Them?

In the last few years, a growing media panic has emerged about the dangers of pornography. Much of this has centered around the concepts of “pornography addiction” and “porn-induced erectile dysfunction.” However, a fair amount has focused on how porn supposedly affects the way that men view and treat women, with some claiming that porn is a major contributor to misogyny and sexual violence. So what does the research say? Is there really a link between pornography consumption and hatred of women?

I addressed this question in a recent article over at Playboy. According to the latest research, pornography use overall is actually related to holding more positive attitudes toward women and lower rates of sexual violence. That said, there do appear to be at least some cases in which porn use contributes to negative attitudes toward women, which tells us that we need to take a nuanced approach when talking about the effects of pornography.

While you’re over at Playboy, check out some of my other work there, including:

• America Has A College Rape Problem, But We Need The Right Data To Address It
• “Coolidge Effect” Explains Why Men Never Stop Looking

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