In my undergraduate thesis, I investigated the impact of pornography on the sexual practices of young adults and the role of other factors in sexual socialization, such as family, peer groups, the media, and sex education in school. I was interested in how these factors contribute to pornography being such a powerful source of information about sexuality for young people. At the same time, I was interested in how well young people understand the concept of consent and the setting and respecting of personal boundaries in sexual relationships. In the theoretical section, I examined sex education in the family and at school; I presented the role of the media in shaping perceptions of sexuality, the accessibility of pornography, and the early exposure of children and adolescents to pornographic content in the media, particularly on the internet. I paid special attention to the role of pornography in a patriarchal world and to depictions of violence in pornography, which are often present regardless of genre. I concluded the theoretical section by discussing the concept of consent and intimate consent—that is, internal, personal consent that is not given merely to meet the expectations of others. In the empirical section, I presented the findings of a qualitative study I conducted through interviews with a non-random convenience sample of eight individuals (four women and four men). The topics covered included sexual socialization within the family, among peers, and in the media; sex education in school; attitudes toward pornography; and understanding consent and personal boundaries. The results show that sexuality is not discussed enough within the family, there is no standardized curriculum for sex education in schools, and the information that children and adolescents receive is often inadequate. Adolescents are curious about sexuality and want to know more than what is offered by school curricula, so they begin searching for information online at an early age, where they encounter easily accessible pornography. Pornography can influence their perception of sexuality, behavior, and self-image, as it often depicts aggressive sexual dynamics and violent practices. The study also showed that sexual encounters sometimes take place without intimate consent, even though participants rate themselves as relatively successful at setting personal boundaries—a success they attribute to a sense of emotional security in the relationship and self-confidence. The study’s findings highlight the importance of quality sex education at home and in school, as well as the need for a more open and informed discussion about sexuality.
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