“The relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual behaviours” (UK report)

[Study participants, males and females who work with those who exhibit harmful sexual behaviors towards women,] believed that increased ease of access to pornography, lots of which includes violence towards women, was problematic for many of their clients. … A number of Frontline Workers described how their clients had become desensitised to the sexual content they consumed online which led to an escalation in the kind of content sought out – to videos showing more extreme subjugation of women. …

Pornography can reinforce and normalise sexual and aggressive behaviour, and reflect and fuel problematic narratives. … There was a widespread belief in the need to address the role that pornography plays, as part of the approach to minimising harmful sexual behaviours towards women.

For reasons that are unclear, this report was released a year after it was prepared. The report contains multiple examples of comments by porn users showing its influence on their thinking and behavior.

View report: The relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual behaviours