Is pornography consumption associated with intimate partner violence? The moderating role of attitudes towards women and violence

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between pornography consumption and intimate partner violence, as well as the moderating role of sexist attitudes and justification of violence towards women. Participants were 382 heterosexual men with an average mean age of 21.32 years (SD= 3.07) who answered a series of online self-report questionnaires. Pornography consumption -mainly violent- was significantly associated with aggressive behaviour toward the female partner. This association was moderated by sexist attitudes and justification of violence. In particular, pornography consumption was positively associated with perpetration of aggressive behaviours toward the partner for those men who scored higher in attitudes justifying violence, rape myth acceptance beliefs, neosexist attitudes, and beliefs of women as sexual objects. However, the association was negative for those men who scored lower on the previous beliefs and attitudes toward women and violence, thus assigning pornography consumption a protective role in this case. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.