Can You Tell the Difference Between What Rapists and Porn Magazines Say About Women?

It is a disturbing question, but research suggests that many people cannot. In fact, one study found that participants often could not tell the difference between the language used by convicted rapists and the words printed in pornographic magazines.

The Study

In 2012, psychologists from Middlesex University and the University of Surrey set out to compare the way rapists talk about women with how women are described in porn magazines. Participants were shown quotes from two sources: British porn magazines and interviews with convicted rapists originally published in The Rapist Files.

The results were sobering. Participants could not reliably identify which quotes came from rapists and which from the magazines. In many cases, they even judged the magazine quotes as more derogatory than the rapist statements. When a group of men were asked which quotes they personally agreed with, they were more likely to agree with the rapist quotes than with the pornographic magazine excerpts.

Lead researcher Dr. Miranda Horvath explained that she and her team were surprised to find that men resonated more with the words of rapists than with those of porn writers. This, she noted, reveals how normalized certain attitudes about women have become.

Violence in Pornography

This study is consistent with a broader body of research showing that pornography frequently promotes aggression and coercion.

One study examined 304 of the most popular porn scenes at the time. It found that 88 percent included physical aggression and nearly half included verbal aggression. The overwhelming majority of victims were women, and in almost every case they were portrayed as either neutral or enjoying the abuse.

A 2020 study took a large-scale look at over 7,400 videos on Pornhub and Xvideos. The researchers found that physical aggression was present in over 40 percent of Pornhub content and in more than one third of Xvideos scenes. In both cases, women were the targets of almost all of these acts.

The message is consistent and clear. Violence is not an occasional theme in pornography. It is presented as the norm.

Why It Matters

The content that people consume does not remain on the screen. Studies show that frequent porn use is associated with greater acceptance of sexual objectification, higher levels of victim blaming, reduced willingness to intervene during sexual assault, increased intent to coerce or assault, and greater support for violence against women.

Pornography is not designed to teach healthy intimacy or mutual respect. It is created to sell fantasy, even when that fantasy depicts coercion, abuse, or humiliation.

Final Thought

The fact that so many participants could not tell the difference between rapist language and pornographic content should give us pause. Pornography is not neutral entertainment. It is a cultural force shaping how people view sex, women, and relationships.

If we are committed to building a culture where consent, respect, and equality are the standard, then we cannot ignore the harmful messages pornography continues to normalize.