Conforming,challenging,countering: An exploration on interpersonal scripts of porn and sex through focus groups with Flemish young adults

Abstract

Public and academic debates on pornography in Flanders are often shaped by moral panics regarding its effects on youth, narrowing the figure of ‘the porn consumer’ to heterosexual men while overlooking young people’s situated perspectives. Drawing on seven focus groups with 45 young adults (aged 20–25) of diverse gender and sexual identities, this study examines how participants conform, challenge, and/or counter cultural gendered and harm scripts. While some reaffirm dominant narratives, many – particularly queer participants – actively resist them through offline peer conversations and online sex-positive communities such as Reddit and BookTok. These findings underscore young people’s critical agency in reshaping cultural narratives around pornography and sex among peers.