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

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.

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. 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.