Our results suggest that popular pornographic videos contain high levels of both verbal and physical aggression. Compared with prior content analytic studies suggesting that aggression rates of pornographic films vary but rarely rise above 30% (Barron & Kimmel, 2000; Duncan, 1991), the results of the current study showed much higher rates, approaching 90%.
Our study was the first to track an important trend in pornographic videos: the increasing portrayal of sexual practices that are unusual and potentially harmful to women in real life (and to the actresses in pornography videos), such as double penetrations or what the pornography industry has termed ATM sequences.
For example, our study specifically sought to examine the frequencies and types of positive sexual behaviors portrayed in adult films. This permits the calculation of a ratio of positive to aggressive behaviors and thus a more complete understanding of adult video content. In the current study, only 9.9% of scenes contained positive behaviors whereas 89.8% contained some form of aggression.
By far, the most common verbally aggressive act was name calling (e.g., “bitch,” “slut”; n = 614, or 97.2% of all 632 verbally aggressive acts). Spanking (35.7% of physically aggressive acts; n = 980), gagging (27.7%; n = 759), and open-hand slapping (14.9%; n = 408) were the most frequently observed physically aggressive acts. Other physically aggressive acts recorded included hair- pulling (10.1%; n = 276), choking (6.7%; n = 184), and bondage or confinement (1.1%; n = 30).
The most frequent sexual act portrayed in the sample was female-to-male oral sex, appearing in 90.1% (n = 274) of the scenes coded. Vaginal intercourse was the second-most frequent sexual act, appearing in 86.2% (n = 262) of the scenes. Male-to-female oral sex was found to occur in 53.9% (n = 164) of the scenes coded, less than anal sex which appeared in 55.9% (n = 356) of the scenes.
In contrast, men were four times more likely to show displeasure when aggressed (16.0%), women 4%
Our study was the first to track an important trend in pornographic videos: the increasing portrayal of sexual practices that are unusual and potentially harmful to women in real life (and to the actresses in pornography videos), such as double penetrations or what the pornography industry has termed ATM sequences.
For example, our study specifically sought to examine the frequencies and types of positive sexual behaviors portrayed in adult films. This permits the calculation of a ratio of positive to aggressive behaviors and thus a more complete understanding of adult video content. In the current study, only 9.9% of scenes contained positive behaviors whereas 89.8% contained some form of aggression.
By far, the most common verbally aggressive act was name calling (e.g., “bitch,” “slut”; n = 614, or 97.2% of all 632 verbally aggressive acts). Spanking (35.7% of physically aggressive acts; n = 980), gagging (27.7%; n = 759), and open-hand slapping (14.9%; n = 408) were the most frequently observed physically aggressive acts. Other physically aggressive acts recorded included hair- pulling (10.1%; n = 276), choking (6.7%; n = 184), and bondage or confinement (1.1%; n = 30).
The most frequent sexual act portrayed in the sample was female-to-male oral sex, appearing in 90.1% (n = 274) of the scenes coded. Vaginal intercourse was the second-most frequent sexual act, appearing in 86.2% (n = 262) of the scenes. Male-to-female oral sex was found to occur in 53.9% (n = 164) of the scenes coded, less than anal sex which appeared in 55.9% (n = 356) of the scenes.
In contrast, men were four times more likely to show displeasure when aggressed (16.0%), women 4%