Criminogenesis of non-consensual pornography. A theoretical interpretation.

Abstract

Starting from the data that report the significant increase in Italy of various forms of online sexualized violence, in particular non-consensual pornography, this contribution aims to explain factors and reasons that encourage perpetrators to commit acts of harassment and online sexual violence and their increase. Therefore, a theoretical interpretation of the causes of non-consensual pornography is proposed which sees the growing culture of rape, strengthened by exposure to violent and degrading pornography as well as by exposure to a contexts that is favorable and permissive respect to violence against women, such as one of the causal agents of the new forms of techno-mediated violence. In the approach that sees non-consensual pornography as a sexual crime, in addition to issues related to power and control, are important also those of female objectification, which can certainly be strengthened by exposure to a subculture in which sexual violence is normalized and the victim blamed, that together with the use of violent pornographic contents, are able to sabotage the concept of respect and dignity of the other leading to de-humanize it and conduct to its objectification. Furthermore, the presence of large cyber communities supporting violence against women leads perpetrators of violence to easily spread their responsibilities. Therefore, a modern criminological explanation is proposed through a theoretical interpretation of the causes of online criminal behavior, in particular of the new sexual crimes perpetrated through the network.