Hostile Masculinity among Sex Offenders: Exploring the Role of Antisocial Behaviour, Substance Abuse, and Pornography Consumption

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, Early View

Published Online: 03 July 2026, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.06

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

Hostile Masculinity among Sex Offenders: Exploring the Role of Antisocial Behaviour, Substance Abuse, and Pornography Consumption

Cinsel Suçlular Arasında Düşmanca Erkeklik: Antisosyal Davranışların, Madde Bağımlılığının ve Pornografi Tüketiminin Rolünün İncelenmesi

Abhishek Sharma¹ , Sheetal Arora²

Abstract:

Sexual offenses against children arise from a multifaceted interplay of psychological, social, and environmental factors. This study investigated the causal roles of antisocial traits, drug abuse, and pornography consumption in fostering hostile masculinity (HM) among child sex offenders. Data were collected from 88 life-convicted offenders incarcerated across multiple prisons for cases resolved between 2019 and 2022. A quota sampling method ensured proportional geographical representation. Ethical clearance was obtained, and data collection tools (structured schedules and psychometric tests) were validated through a pilot study. Findings revealed that antisocial behaviour significantly predicted HM by reinforcing adversarial gender attitudes and dominance-oriented beliefs. Drug abuse further exacerbated HM, reducing empathy and normalizing hegemonic masculine norms, while pornography consumption amplified adversarial gender scripts and legitimized coercive behaviours. Demographic analysis showed that most offenders were young adults with low educational attainment, suggesting compounded vulnerabilities that increase susceptibility to hostile masculine orientations. The study underscores the interconnected influence of personality traits, substance abuse, media exposure, and sociocultural conditions in sustaining HM and sexual aggression. Policy implications emphasize integrated prevention and intervention strategies targeting antisocial conduct, substance misuse, and pornography consumption, with a focus on young, less-educated populations. These findings offer practical insights into reducing gender-based violence.

Keywords: Hostile masculinity, Child sex offenders, Antisocial behaviour, Drug abuse, Pornography consumption.

¹Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Department of Psychology, Jodhpur, India.

²Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Department of Criminology, Jodhpur, India.

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Abhishek Sharma, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Department of Psychology, Karwar, Jodhpur- 342037, Rajasthan, India. E-mail: [email protected].

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 19.09.2025, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 21.01.2026, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 29.01.2026, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 03.07.2026

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Sharma, A. & Arora, S. (2026). Hostile masculinity among sex offenders: exploring the role of antisocial behaviour, substance abuse, and pornography consumption. Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 1-9, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.07.

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/