The Impact of Accessibility to Child and Youth Pornography on Voluntary Consumption: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Perceived Social Harm

Child and youth pornography has emerged as a serious social problem. However, empirical research aimed at assessing the current state of the issue and developing countermeasures remains insufficient. To address this gap, this study utilized data from the “National Awareness and Effective Regulatory Measures for Child and Youth Pornography” survey conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology, involving 5,000 people nationwide. The study examined the impact of accessibility to child and youth pornography on voluntary consumption and verified the moderating effect of perceived social harm on this relationship. The results revealed that higher accessibility to child and youth pornography significantly increased the likelihood of voluntary consumption. Furthermore, a moderating effect was observed, whereby higher levels of perceived social harm reduced the influence of accessibility on the consumption of child and youth pornography. These findings suggest that physical access control measures for child and youth pornography should be implemented in conjunction with efforts to raise awareness of its harmfulness among members of society. The study derives policy and practical implications based on these results.