Sexualistation of Young People

Sexualisation of Young People Review
70
The Confluence Model
The Confluence Model of sexual
aggression shows how a number
of factors work together with
pornography use to predict levels
of sexual aggression. Pornography
consumption therefore contributes
‘significantly to the prediction of sexual
aggression both as a main effect and in
interaction with other factors’. 381
Mean sexual aggression
381
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.1
.8
Pornography Use
Low
Medium
High
Low Medium
High
Risk for sexual aggression based on GH x HM x IS
Hostile masculinity (HM) describes
personality traits linked to aggression,
including insecurity, defensiveness,
hypersensitivity and a hostile/distrustful
attitude to women.
Impersonal Sex (IS) describes a
promiscuous, non-committal attitude
towards sexual relations.
General Hostility (GH) refers to
traits such as callousness and lack of
emotion, which increase the likelihood
of developing HM and IS.
As the figure shows, the risk of sexual
aggression is highest for those that score
highly for GH, HM and IS, and who are
also heavy consumers of pornography.
381 Malamuth and Vega (2007)
Malamuth and Vega agree that there is a
significant correlation between exposure
to pornography and both actual, and
attitudes to, sexual aggression. 382 This is
backed by a further study involving 515
men, which found a strong association
between rape and rape proclivity and
the use of all forms of pornography.
The strongest links were with hardcore
pornography featuring scenes of
violent rape. Soft-core pornography was
positively associated with the likelihood
of sexual force and non-violent coercive
behaviour, but negatively associated with
the likelihood of rape and actual rape
behaviour. 383
These conclusions are supported by a
recent literature review, 384 which identified
consistent and reliable evidence that
exposure to pornography is related to
male sexual aggression against women,
385 and while the association is strongest
for violent pornography, it is still reliable
for non-violent pornography. It should be
noted, however, that researchers have also
identified a circular relationship whereby
those men who are considered as highrisk
for sexual aggression are more likely
to be attracted to sexually violent media
and more influenced by it. 386
In a critical review of the literature on
pornography and links with violence,
Itzin, Taket and Kelly (2007) conducted
a critical analysis of experimental studies
disputed by Fisher and Grenier (1994).
The experimental studies were said
by Fisher and Grenier to have failed
to confirm that violent pornography is
associated with anti-women thoughts and
acts, citing inconsistent findings due to
methodological and conceptual limitations.
In the wider review of evidence of harm
382 Allen et al. (1995)
383 Boeringer (1994)
384 Flood (2009)
385 Flood and Hamilton (2003)
386 Malmouth et al. (2000)