Many young people encounter pornography before their first romantic relationship, and some may treat it as a source of information about sex. A survey cited in the research found that 73% of teenagers aged 13 to 17 had viewed pornography, with first exposure occurring at an average age of 12. Among those who had watched it, 45% said it provided helpful information about sex.

The material they see is not always limited to consensual sexual activity. The same survey found that 52% of teenage viewers had encountered violent or aggressive content, including apparent rape, sexual strangulation or depictions of pain. A separate analysis of 255 popular pornography videos released between 2000 and 2024 identified physical aggression in about 44% of them, with spanking, hitting and sexual choking becoming more common over the period studied.

Researchers warn that repeated exposure may influence the sexual “scripts” young people develop, particularly when media portrayals are not discussed critically. Such scripts can affect expectations about intimacy, pleasure, power and how partners should respond to discomfort or refusal.

A 2026 review of seven studies examined the relationship between pornography use and empathy. One experimental study associated exposure to sexually violent films with reduced sympathy for women who had experienced sexual assault. More recent research involving 3,607 young adults in Spain linked exposure to violent pornography with lower empathy among men and greater acceptance of violence against women among both men and women. The findings do not prove that pornography directly causes reduced empathy, but they raise concerns about possible emotional desensitization.

Empathy is important because it helps people recognize and respond to another person’s feelings. The review also found that higher empathy was associated with lower levels of sexual violence perpetration, suggesting that it may have a protective role.

Other research has examined how pornography, personal attitudes and peer expectations may interact. In a seven-month study of 247 college men, greater exposure to violent pornography was associated with more gender-inequitable attitudes, more alcohol-related problems and less responsibility being assigned to men who rape. These factors helped explain a relationship between violent pornography exposure and higher self-reported sexually coercive behavior later in the study. The researchers did not establish cause and effect.

Peer culture may also reinforce harmful attitudes. An earlier study of 283 college men found that believing peers approved of pornography depicting rape was associated with more negative attitudes toward women. Perceived peer acceptance of rape pornography was the only factor that remained statistically significant after the other variables examined were taken into account.

The findings suggest that silence and apparent approval can matter. Laughter at degrading comments, the circulation of sexual images or a failure to challenge someone who ignores another person’s boundaries may communicate that coercive behavior is acceptable.

Experts cited in the research say conversations about pornography should begin before young people reach college and continue regularly. A survey found that 57% of teenagers had never discussed pornography with a trusted adult. Parents and mentors can ask what young people notice about the relationships shown in pornography and other media: Are both people treated as individuals with feelings and choices? What happens when someone appears uncomfortable, unwilling or unable to consent? What does a caring and healthy relationship look like?

Teaching the definition of consent is not necessarily enough. Young people also need opportunities to develop empathy, communication, mutual respect and accountability, as well as strategies for challenging peers who share sexual images or trivialize coercion. Empathy-focused programs and initiatives based in schools and homes are identified as promising approaches that require further research.

The research cannot determine whether pornography influenced any individual assault. It does, however, support closer examination of the sexual messages young people absorb and the peer attitudes that may reinforce them, alongside earlier education focused on empathy, care and respect.

Sources: Psychology Today.