NCJ Number
203423
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 56-72
Date Published
January 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Using data obtained from 271 women who were participating in a battered women's program, this study examined whether the abusive partner's use of pornography increased the probability that the women would be sexually abused by a partner.
Abstract
In addition, the study considered whether individual traits and certain disinhibitory factors, such as alcohol use, mediated or exacerbated the effect of pornography on sexual violence. The study encompassed the period 1988 to 1991. Logistic regression was used to assess the effects of abuser pornography use on the probability of the women being sexually abused. Forty-six percent of the women reported that they had been sexually abused by their partner. Thirty percent of the abusers were reported by the women to have used pornography, and 45 percent of the abusers were identified by the women as having an alcohol problem. Pornography use significantly increased the odds that a woman would be sexually abused. The other variable in the study that increased the odds of sexual abuse was abuse between the respondent's parents. Women who observed abuse between their parents were significantly more likely to be sexually abused than women with no history of abuse between parents. Military service by the abuser significantly decreased the likelihood of sexual abuse of the partner. Alcohol abuse by the batterer increased women's odds of being sexually abused. Also, as the abuse continued over time, a woman's odds of being sexually abused increased. The analysis did not find that alcohol abuse exacerbated the effects of pornography on the odds of sexual assault. 3 tables and 50 references