The danger and power of pornography
Jun 08, 2022
A modern maxim states: “What you do in private is not going to damage anyone else.” The fact is that porn does not stay private. In 2003, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended a meeting of the American Academy of matrimonial lawyers said the Internet played a significant role in the divorces.[1] In a survey, 49% said pornography promotes negative attitudes towards women and encourages viewers to think unprotected sex is O.K.[2] 57% of pastors said that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation.[3]
There is an abundance of evidence to support the conclusion that many violent sex crimes would not have occurred if the perpetrator had not been exposed to or become addicted to pornography.[4] There is a clear relationship between frequent pornography use and sexually aggressive behaviour. Those who are at high risk for sexual aggression and who frequently use pornography have sexual aggression levels four times higher than those who do not use porn often.[5] 47% of families said that pornography is a problem in their home.[6] Porn amounts to about 7% of the 3.3 billion pages indexed by Google.[7] More than 70% of men ages 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month.[8]
Young people are particularly susceptible to pornography. The sexualisation of youth has substantially damaging effects for the personal and mental health, as well as future marriages. Pornography prepares young people to have a twisted ideas about sex, a desire for a source of constant sexual availability and a human desire for physically flawless looks. Young men who are high consumers of pornography are more likely to engage in anal sex, as well as have sexual relations with a friend.[9] 71% of adolescents surveyed believed pornography consumption influenced others’ behaviour, and 29% believed it affected their own behaviour.[10] Many young people accidentally access pornography online: 70% of 15-17 year olds indicated they accidentally viewed porn online.[11] 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 16 have viewed porn on the internet. The largest consumer of internet pornography is the 12-17 year old age group.[12] It is clear that exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television and magazine accelerates adolescent’s sexual activity and increases their risk of engaging in early sexual intercourse.[13]
Some might express exasperation at the proliferation of pornography and its negative effects in recent decades. Yet there is plenty that you can do. There is a campaign to clean up hotels and stop the provision of pornography in hotels. Hamilton County in Ohio now has no pornographic bookstores, no strip bars and 95% of stores do not have any form of pornography. Locals banded together and refused to shop in stores that carried this material leading elected officials to pass strict regulations and law officers to enforce existing laws.
Phil and Vickie Burress are doing tremendous work to help reduce the impact of pornography, to help people break free of sexual struggles and addiction and let women involved in relationship with men using porn that it is not their fault. Some groups such a citizens for community values have ensured that the mainstream media is not used for sex services. Meeting victims face to face is a poignant way to realise the full extent of damage that pornography does. At World Youth Day 2008, Pope Benedict stated: “could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer sexual exploitation ‘explain’ that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely "entertainment?"[14] Many studies show that retributive justice is highly effective.
Overall, pornography does considerable damage to the psyche of our nation, most especially to young people. It warps and damages the beautiful gift of human sexuality into a fantasy based on lies, manipulation and profit. It destroys marriages, degrades women, emasculates men and distorts the emotional and spiritual dimensions of sex. Yet there is plenty we can do to ensure that the law is enforced on pornography and that businesses and advertising do not support this evil industry.
Resources:
[1] www.divorcewizards.com.
[2] Kaiser Family Foundation, 2001 poll.
[3] Christians and sex leadership journal survey, March 2005.
[4] Robert Peters, Morality in Media, 2004.
[5] “Pornography and sexual aggression: Are there reliable effects and can we understand them?” Annual review of sex research Vol. 11, Number… 2000. Page(s) 26-94.
[6] Focus on the family poll, October 1, 2003.
[7] N2H”/ Scure Computing Corp.
[8] ComScore Media Matrix.
[9] “Associations between pornography consumption and sexual practices among adolescents in Sweden”; International Journal of STD & AIDS Vol 16, Number 2. February, 2005. Page(s) 102-7.
[10] Lighted candle society, 2008.
[11] Kaiser family foundation 2001 poll.
[12] London School of Economics January 2002.
[13] Jane D Bornw, Kelly Ladin L’Engle, Carol J Pardun, Guang Guo, Kristin Kenneavy: American academy of pediatrics, April 4 2006.
[14] Pope Benedict XVI, welcoming celebration by the young people, Barangaroo, Sydney Harbour, 17 July 2008.
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