Access to non-violent pornography in a secure forensic hospital

Abstract

The current research explores non-violent pornography within secure hospital settings. It includes a systematic review (n = 40 papers), followed by a qualitative study comprising semi-structured interviews (n = 24, six patients and 18 staff) and staff focus groups (n = 22 staff). The systematic review identified six themes; (1) pornography is inconsistently defined, (2) pornography exposure can increase general aggression, (3) pornography exposure may increase the risk for sexual aggression, (4) pornography exposure can increase aggression supportive beliefs, (5) pornography exposure impacts negatively on those with a violent predisposition, and (6) pornography is educational for men not identifying as heterosexual. The semi-structured interviews and focus groups revealed four themes; (1) staff members hold diverse beliefs about pornographic material, (2) pornography is difficult to obtain and use for patients who do not identify as heterosexual, (3) pornography is used for specific functions, and (4) frequent exposure to pornography can have negative effects for staff members. Implementation of individualised and multi-disciplinary decision-making, continual monitoring of access and consideration of the functions of pornography are argued as beneficial, with suggestions for future research outlined.