Sexual violence and gender: The role of rape myths and violent pornography among college students

Abstract

The proliferation of violent pornography and its potential link to sexually aggressive behavior has raised concerns among authors. While some research has demonstrated the association between the use of violent pornography and sexually aggressive behavior, the role of rape myths is largely unknown. Further, most research has been carried out with males, while female perpetrators are often overlooked, despite evidence suggesting their involvement in sexual offences. The aim of the current study is to test the association between the use of violent pornography, the endorsement of rape myths, and the adoption of sexually aggressive tactics in college students, while also examining potential disparities between genders. A sample of 903 participants was collected through an online self-report survey targeting university students at least 18 years old, this survey evaluated the endorsement of rape myths, the preparation of sexually aggressive behaviors, and the use of violent pornography through three key variables- prevalence, frequency, and intensity. A series of Mediation Models were used to test these hypotheses. Results showed that, for both men and women, the prevalence of violent pornography predicted sexually aggressive behaviors, while rape myth endorsement partially mediated this relationship in the women sample. The intensity and frequency of violent pornography use were not significant predictors of sexual aggression among participants who visualize violent pornography. This study adds to the body of literature about violent pornography use and sexual aggression in the university context and highlights how these relationships differ between genders.