Dr John Foubert on Pornography & Sexual Violence

In this episode I speak with Dr. John Foubert, leading expert on the intersection between Pornography & Sexual Violence. I was grateful for the opportunity to ask him some of the trickier questions on this issue that I've been wrestling with for a while. We discuss such questions as:

• Can pornography actually decrease rape rates, by providing a mechanism for the release of sexual tension?
• Is there really a difference between using people in pornography as tools/commodities to serve our own sexual pleasure vs. using people as tools/commodities to serve our own purposes in other types of commercial exchanges?
• Are there nuances to acknowledge when it comes to what types of acts in pornography should be considered "violent"?
• Why do different studies assessing the rates of violence in pornography get such different results?

If you enjoy these conversations, please consider supporting me on Patreon to help me continue producing episodes.

If you wish to read Dr. John Foubert's book How Pornography Harms, you can purchase a copy here. He also has a new book coming out soon is addressed to parents, so keep your eye out for that one as well!

Studies referenced during our conversation:

Goodson, A, Franklin, C.A., & Bouffard, L.A. (2020). Male peer support and sexual assault: the relation between high-Profile, high school sports participation and sexually predatory behavior. Journal of Sexual Aggression, DOI: 10.1080/13552600.2020.1733111

De Heer, B.A., Prior, S., & Hoegh, G. (2020). Pornography, Masculinity, and Sexual Aggression on College Campuses. Violence Against Women https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520906186

Rodriguez, C.G. & Fernandez-Gonzalez, L (2019). Is pornography consumption associated with intimate partner violence? The moderating role of attitudes toward women and violence. Behavioral Psychology, 27(3), 431-454.

Hughes, A., Brewer, G. & Khan, R. (2020). Sexual coercion by women: The influence of pornography and narcissistic and histrionic personality disorder traits. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49, 885–894.

Bridges, A.J. (2019). Pornography and sexual assault. In W.T. O’Donohue & P.A. Schewe (Eds.), Handbook of sexual assault and sexual assault prevention. Springer.

Foubert, J.D. & Bridges, A. J. (2017). What is the attraction? Understanding gender differences in reasons for viewing pornography in relationship to bystander intervention. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32 (20), 3071-3089.