Pubers en Porno - Raising Sexpectations? De invloed van het internet op seksueel permissieve attitudes van jongeren

Abstract

Adolescents are spending more time on the internet than ever before and easily come into contact with sexually explicit online material, hence there is a need for research on the possible risks associated with adolescents’ internet use. The current study focusses on the influence of the internet on sexually permissive sexual attitudes of adolescents. Data were used from a longitudinal sample of 1132 Dutch adolescents aged 11 to 18. Results from several regression analyses showed that at baseline, frequent use of internet and exposure to sexually explicit material predicted higher levels of permissive sexual attitudes. Longitudinally, exposure to sexually explicit material predicted an increase in permissive sexual attitudes. This increase was found especially in adolescents who perceived the sexual content as realistic, reflecting a moderation effect of perceived realism. Adolescents frequently use sexually explicit websites and those who see the provided content as highly realistic report more permissive sexual attitudes. These results call for more attention to the risks that frequent exposure to sexual explicit material on the internet bring along.