ABSTRACT
Across the research literature, a number of investigators have attempted to determine if relationships exist between adolescent consumption of Internet pornography and the development of attitudes, values, and beliefs. Brooks identified a phenomenon he described as the Centerfold Syndrome, in which young men who consume pornography are more likely to objectify women as a result. As the Internet has made sexually explicit material widely available, it has become even more important for helping professionals to understand the relationships that exist between pornography and adolescents’ development of attitudes and beliefs. This chapter examines the research related to adolescent consumption of pornography and the development of attitudes around sexual permissiveness, gender-stereotypical beliefs, and sexual self-development. Implications for practice are discussed as are specific intervention strategies that may prove useful when working with young people.
