ONLINE SOURCES

https://aifs.gov.au/publications/effects-pornography-children-and-young-people-snapshot

Issues:

 Pornography exists within a broader sociocultural context in which stereotypes about

gender, sexism, sexual objectification and violence-supportive attitudes are also at
play

 Nearly half of children between the ages of 9-16 experience regular exposure to
sexual images.

 Young males are more likely than females to deliberately seek out pornography and
to do so frequently.

 Pornography use can shape sexual practices and is associated with unsafe sexual
health practices such as not using condoms and unsafe anal and vaginal sex.

 Pornography may strengthen attitudes supportive of sexual violence and violence

against women.

 The best approach for parents, caregivers and teachers responding to children's
exposure to pornography is to encourage open communication, discussion and
critical thinking on the part of children, while educating themselves about the internet
and social media.

 Parents and caregivers are less likely to be intimidated by online risks if they are
informed and take an active role in their children's digital lives.
Schwarts, J. (n.d.). Youth, Pornography, and the Internet. The New York Times.

Retrieved https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/10261/chapter/3

Issues:

The Internet has changed the way we access the world. This is especially true for kids, who soak up new
technologies like eager little sponges. They have access to an enormous array of material, including
educational links, sports info, chat rooms—and, unfortunately, pornography. But we must approach our
need to protect children with care to avoid placing unnecessary restrictions on the many positive
features of the Internet.

Youth, Pornography, and the Internet examines approaches to protecting children and teens from
Internet pornography, threats from sexual predators operating on-line, and other inappropriate material
on the Internet. The National Research Council’s Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
explores a number of fundamental questions: Who defines what is inappropriate material? Do we
control Internet access by a 17-year-old in the same manner as for a 7-year-old? What is the role of
technology and policy in solving such a problem in the context of family, community, and society?

The book discusses social and educational strategies, technological tools, and policy options for how to
teach children to make safe and appropriate decisions about what they see and experience on the
Internet. It includes lessons learned from case studies of community efforts to intervene in kids’
exposure to Internet porn.

Providing a foundation for informed debate, this very timely and relevant book will be a must-read for a
variety of audiences.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2002. Youth, Pornography, and the
Internet. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10261.
Taylor, E. (2018). Pornography as a Public Health Issue: Promoting Violence and Exploitation of Children,
Youth, and Adults. Australian Catholic University.Vol. 3. Iss. 2.

Retrieved https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol3/iss2/8/

Issues:

Abstract
The pornography industry is expanding exponentially as a result of ongoing technological advances. The ability to
stream videos over the internet and the ubiquity of the smart phone have meant that pornography producers are able
to use algorithms to target potential consumers, to cultivate new sexual tastes and to deliver content to a more
diverse audience over mobile devices. The advent of virtual reality pornography with interactive sex toys and sex
robots imbued with artificial intelligence promises to unleash a further step-change in the extent to which pornography
influences ‘real-world’ sexual culture. The critical analysis of pornography undertaken over decades largely by
feminist academics and activists has produced a compelling account of how pornography serves to manipulate
ordinary sexual interests and direct consumers towards more extreme content. The objectification of pornography
performers and the promotion of the idea that they are consenting are both essential strategies to allow normal men
(and, though less often, women) to feel comfortable with their pornography viewing. Drawing on interational academic
literature from a range of disciplines, together with evidence from popular culture, contemporary news, and criminal
law cases, this paper examines the growing body of evidence that pornography plays a pivotal and causal role in
shaping real-world sexual behaviours and expectations. As the increasingly brutal fantasies represented in
pornography continue to inform expectations for sexual experiences, the evidence for the detrimental consequences
of this also proliferates. The nature and extent of these detrimental consequences are explored particularly with
reference to three population groups: women, adolescents, and children. Having described the nature of modern
pornographic content and isolated pornography as an important agent of change in sexual culture, this paper then
explores the connection between the the behaviours celebrated in gonzo porn and real-world sexual violence towards
women. The promotion of sexually risky practices to adolescents through pornography has a material impact on
sexual health as well as social wellbeing. The long-term effects of this can only be guessed at, since no generation
has previously been saturated with such extreme sexual content available through such a variety of media.
Measurable health outcomes as well as self-reported effects on teenagers highlight the dangers of the current
trajectory. Finally, the dangers to children are emphasised in a discussion of how the fantasies encouraged by
‘pseudo child porn’ genres engender a sexual interest in genuine child exploitation material (CEM), which in turn
increases the risk of contact abuse for children. CEM is also used by paedophiles to groom future victims and forms
‘currency’ within online communities of men with paedophilic interests. The rise of child-on-child sexual assault can,
in many cases, be causally linked to children’s access to pornography or to previous experience of sexual abuse,
which is very often filmed.
Donovan, J. (2020). Porn Addiction. Web MD.

https://www.webmd.com/sex/porn-addiction-possible

Issues:

What Is a Porn Addiction?

Porn addiction is, in theory, when you can’t stop looking at porn, even if you want to. And the
obsession gets to the point that it interferes with work, relationships, and other parts of daily life.
It’s easy to understand how this could be a problem with the widespread availability of internet
porn today. In 2019, for example, the popular site PornHub recorded 42 billion visits -- that’s
115 million a day.

Is Porn Addictive?

Scientists are debating if heavy use of pornography is an addiction in the medical sense of the
word.

The World Health Organization added compulsive sexual behavior as a mental health disorder in
2018. And while it doesn’t single out a pornography (or any other) addiction, it does refer to
repetitive sexual activities becoming a central focus of a person’s life to the point that they
neglect their “health and personal care or other interests, activities, and responsibilities.”

And a study of men who sought treatment for problematic pornography use (PPU)
showed that their brains did respond to sexual images.

That gives credence to experts who say that the same brain activity shown in drug
or alcohol addiction -- when circuits in your brain associated with reward, motivation, and
memory get turned on -- is in those who use pornography a lot.

But porn addiction isn’t recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
That’s the book doctors use to diagnose mental disorders.

And some study results dispute the idea that porn is related to addiction. One group of
researchers found that watching porn didn’t activate the parts of the brain usually involved with
addiction. In fact, brain activity in those areas decreased.

Other scientists point out that studies so far have either been poorly organized or have
struggled with defining what exactly would make this an actual addiction. Plus, some say
it’s difficult to get a handle on how widespread the problem is, in part, because few users
think the habit is a problem.
Neither does the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and
Therapists. The group says there’s little proof that either sex addition or porn addition are
problems. In a position statement on the topic, the group cautions against making
consensual sexual behavior a disorder.

Porn Addiction Signs

Whether it’s an addiction or not, those who use pornography regularly have intense urges
or cravings for sex. They turn to porn when they’re anxious. They also tend to struggle at
work and at home. Some experts believe there’s a link between heavy use of porn and
dissatisfaction with relationships.

Definitions about how much porn is too much vary. But most experts agree that if it gets
in the way of your day-to-day activities, you could be watching too much. For example, if:

 Porn becomes a central part of your life. You stop doing things you really enjoy so
that you can see more of it.
 You neglect personal care.
 You lose interest in other activities.
 You become less interested in social encounters.
 It damages your relationships.
 You let go of other responsibilities.
 It affects your job or schoolwork.
 You’re looking at it or watching it in places that aren’t appropriate, like work or
school.
 Your sex life starts to be unfulfilling.
 You have a craving for more.
 You can’t stop looking at or watching porn, even when you try.
 You can’t quit even though you don’t enjoy it as much.
 You’ve been heavily looking at or watching porn for 6 months or more.

Porn Addiction Causes and Risk Factors

Because porn addiction is controversial in the medical/mental health community, there’s

no a clear set of causes available. But there may be some clues in the causes of
compulsive sexual behavior. Things that lead to porn addiction could include:

 A brain chemical imbalance. Chemicals like serotonin and norepinephrine

control your moods. High levels are often tied to compulsive sexual behavior, like
heavy porn use.
  Brain pathway changes. If you do get addicted, it could change the way circuits in
your brain work. An addiction means you’ll have to view porn over and over again
to get the same level of enjoyment.
 Brain disease. Conditions like epilepsy and dementia, and treatment for
Parkinson’s with dopamine, can damage the part of your brain that controls sexual
behavior.

Things that could make porn addition more likely include:

 Ease of access. Thanks to the internet, access to porn is a click away.

 Privacy. Viewing porn in private is easier than ever. Compulsive behaviors thrive in secrecy.

Compulsive sexual behavior like porn addiction could also be more likely if you have:

 Drug or alcohol and use problems, or family members who have them
 Other mental health issues such as a mood disorder like depression or a gambling addiction
 Family conflict
 A history of physical or sexual abuse

Porn Addiction Treatment and Home Remedies

There is help if you feel your pornography habits are causing problems. The main type of
treatment for compulsive sexual behavior is psychotherapy. You could try:

 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) a type of psychotherapy or talk therapy. You’ll work with a

mental health professional to identify problem areas in your life and learn ways to overcome
them.
 Acceptance and commitment therapy is a form of CBT that emphasizes accepting your thoughts
and urges and a committing to actions that are more in line with other values.
 Psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on becoming more aware of unconscious thoughts and
behaviors, learning about your motivations, and resolving conflicts.
https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialproblems/chapter/9-5-pornography/

Issues:

Pornography may be defined as printed or visual materials that are sexually explicit and that are
intended to arouse sexual excitement rather than artistic appreciation. This definition is fine as
far as it goes, but it does raise many questions that underscore the difficulty of dealing with
prostitution. For example, how “explicit” must a printed or visual material be for it to be
explicit? Is a picture of a woman in a skimpy negligee explicit, or must she be fully unclothed? If
a woman in a photo is wearing an evening gown that is very low-cut, is that explicit? If a young
male gets aroused by seeing her cleavage, does that make the photo of her pornographic? If two
people on network television are obviously beginning to have consensual sex just before a
commercial begins (this is network television, after all), is that explicit and arousing enough to
constitute pornography? If you answered no to this last question, what if some viewers did find
this short portrayal of consensual sex to be explicit and arousing? Is their reaction enough for us
to have to conclude that the scene they saw was indeed pornographic? How many people in fact
have to find a printed or visual material explicit and arousing for it to be considered
pornographic?

These questions suggest that it is not very easy to define pornography after all. Back in the
1950s, young males in the United States would leaf through National Geographic magazine to
peek at photos of native women who were partially nude. Those photos, of course, were not put
there to excite boys across the country; instead they were there simply to depict native people in
their natural habitat. Another magazine began about the same time that also contained photos of
nude women. Its name was Playboy, and its photos obviously had a much different purpose: to
excite teenage boys and older men alike. Other, more graphic magazines grew in its wake, and
today television shows and PG-13 and R-rated movies show more nudity and sex than were ever
imaginable in the days when National Geographic was a boy’s secret pleasure. Beyond these
movies and television shows, a powerful pornography industry now exists on the Internet, in
porn stores, and elsewhere. Although Playboy quickly became very controversial, it is
considered tame compared to what else is now available.

Public Opinion about Pornography

Many people oppose pornography, but two very different groups have been especially outspoken
over the years, as has been true about prostitution. One of these groups consists of religious
organizations and individuals who condemn pornography as a violation of religious values and
as an offense to society’s moral order. The other group consists of feminists who condemn
pornography for its sexual objectification of women and especially condemn the hard-core
pornography that glorifies horrible sexual violence against women. Many feminists also charge
that pornography promotes rape by reinforcing the cultural myths discussed earlier. As one
writer put it in a famous phrase some thirty years ago, “Pornography is the theory, and rape the
practice” (Morgan, 1980, p. 139).
The Popularity of Pornography

Pornography is so widespread and easy to access on the Internet and elsewhere that many people
must be viewing it, reading it, and in general “using” it. Various data and estimates for the
United States support this assumption (Diamond, 2009; Family Safe Media, 2011). For example,
pornography revenues amount to more than $13 billion annually (from the sale and rental of
adult DVDs, the viewing of pornographic Internet sites, the purchase of adult videos on cable
and in hotel rooms, payments for phone sex, visits in exotic dance clubs, the purchase of sexually
explicit novelties, and subscriptions to and the purchase of sexually explicit magazines). An
estimated 12 percent of all websites are pornographic. In addition, about 40 percent of
Americans visit pornographic sites on the Internet at least monthly, and, according to the GSS,
one-fourth of Americans, or almost 60 million adults, have seen an X-rated movie in the past
year.

Effects of Pornography

Many feminists and other people oppose pornography because they believe it causes rape or
other violence against women. This belief raises an important question: To what extent does
pornography in fact cause such violence? The fairest answer might be that we do not really
know. Many scholars believe pornography does cause violence against women, but other
scholars conclude that pornography does not have this effect and may even help reduce sexual
violence by providing a sexual outlet for men (Diamond, 2009; Weitzer, 2011).

These divergent views reflect the complexity of the evidence from studies of pornography. Many
studies do conclude that pornography causes rape. For example, male students who watch violent
pornography in experiments later exhibit more hostile attitudes toward women than those
watching consensual sex or nonsexual interaction. However, it remains doubtful that viewing
pornography in real life has a longer-term effect that lasts beyond the laboratory setting, and
several experimental studies do not even find any short-term effects. In other types of research,
rape rates have not risen in the US states that have made their pornography laws more lenient,
and states’ rape rates are not related to their circulation rates of pornographic magazines. Further,
rape rates have declined sharply since the early 1990s even though pornography is much more
widely available now than back then thanks to the Internet and other technologies.

A recent review of the research on pornography and rape concluded that pornography does not
increase rape (Ferguson & Hartley, 2009, p. 323):
https://marripedia.org/
effects_of_pornography

Effects of Pornography
Pornography changes the habits of the mind, the inner private self. Its use can easily
become habitual, which in turn leads to desensitization, boredom, distorted views of
reality, and an objectification of women. There are also numerous clinical consequences
to pornography use, including increased risk for significant physical and mental health
problems and a greater likelihood of committing a sex-based crime.

1. Effects on the Mind, Body, and Soul

The “digital revolution” has led to great strides in productivity, communication, and other
desirable ends, but pornographers also have harnessed its power for their profit. The
cost has been a further weakening of the nation’s citizens and families, a development
that should be of grave concern to all. The social sciences demonstrate the
appropriateness of this concern.
Two reports, one by the American Psychological Association on hyper-sexualized girls,
and the other by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy on the
pornographic content of phone texting among teenagers, make clear that the digital
revolution is being used by younger and younger children to dismantle the barriers that
channel sexuality into family life.
1)

Pornography, as a visual (mis)representation of sexuality, distorts an individual’s

concept of sexual relations by objectifying them, which, in turn, alters both sexual
attitudes and behavior. It is a major threat to marriage, to family, to children, and to
individual happiness.
Social scientists, clinical psychologists, and biologists have begun to clarify some of the
social and psychological effects of pornography, and neurologists are beginning to
delineate the biological mechanisms through which pornography produces its powerful
effects on people.
Pornography’s power to undermine individual and social functioning is powerful and
deep:

 Effect on the Mind: Pornography significantly distorts attitudes and perceptions

about the nature of sexual intercourse. Men who habitually look at pornography
have a higher tolerance for abnormal sexual behaviors, sexual aggression,
promiscuity, and even rape. In addition, men begin to view women and even
children as “sex objects,” commodities or instruments for their pleasure, not as
persons with their own inherent dignity.

 Effect on the Body: Pornography is very addictive. The addictive aspect of

pornography has a biological substrate, with dopamine hormone release acting
as one of the mechanisms for forming the transmission pathway to pleasure
centers of the brain. Also, the increased sexual permissiveness engendered by
pornography increases the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or of
being an unwitting parent in an out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

 Effect on the Heart: Pornography affects people’s emotional lives. Married

men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their marital sexual
relations and less emotionally attached to their wives. Women married to men
with a pornography addiction report feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and anger.
Pornographic use may lead to infidelity and even divorce. Adolescents who view
pornography feel shame, diminished self-confidence, and sexual uncertainty.

2. Desensitization, Habituation, and

Boredom
Prolonged use of pornography produces habituation,  boredom, and sexual
2)

dissatisfaction among female and male viewers,  and is associated with more lenient
3)

views of extramarital sexual relations and recreational attitudes toward sex.  A 2000
4)

study of college freshmen found that the habitual use of pornography led to greater
tolerance of sexually explicit material, thus requiring more novel and bizarre material to
achieve the same level of arousal or interest.  For example, habituation may lead to
5)

watching “depictions of group sex, sadomasochistic practices, and sexual contact with
animals,”  engaging in anal intercourse,  and trivializing “nonviolent forms of the sexual
6) 7)

abuse of children.”8)

The pornography industry adapted to this desire for more bizarre and uncommon
images. An analysis of the content of Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler from the years
1953 to 1984 revealed 6,004 child images and an additional 14,854 images depicting
crime or violence. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of the child images were sexual and
violent, with most of the images displaying girls between the ages of three and eleven
years of age. Each of these magazines portrayed the scenes involving children as
though the child had been unharmed by the sexual scene or even benefited from it. 9)

Heavy exposure to pornography leads men to judge their mates as sexually less
attractive,  resulting in less satisfaction with their affection, physical appearance, and
10)

sexual behavior.  The need for more intense sexual stimulation brought on by
11)

pornography can lead to boredom in normal relationships and a greater likelihood of

seeking sexual pleasure outside of marriage. Repeated exposure to pornography leads
the viewer to consider “recreational sexual engagements” as increasingly
important,  and changes the viewer to being very accepting of sexual permissiveness.
12) 13)

3. Distorted Perception of Reality

Pornography presents sexual access as relentless, “a sporting event that amounts to
innocent fun” with inconsequential effects on emotions, perceptions, and health.  This is
14)

not the case, however. Pornography leads to distorted perceptions of social reality: an
exaggerated perception of the level of sexual activity in the general population,  an
15)

inflated estimate “of the incidence of premarital and extramarital sexual activity, as well
as increased assessment of male and female promiscuity,” “an overestimation of almost
all sexual activities performed by sexually active adults,”  and an overestimation of the
16)

general prevalence of perversions such as group sex, bestiality, and sadomasochistic

activity.  Thus, the beliefs being formed in the mind of the viewer of pornography are far
17)

removed from reality. A case could be made that repeated viewing of pornography
induces a mental illness in matters sexual.
These distortions result in an acceptance of three beliefs: (1) sexual relationships are
recreational in nature, (2) men are generally sexually driven, and (3) women are sex
objects or commodities.  These are called “permission-giving beliefs” because they
18)

result in assumptions that one’s behavior is normal, acceptable, and commonplace, and
thus not hurtful to anyone else.  These beliefs are deepened and reinforced by
19)

masturbation while viewing pornography,  a frequent practice among those who use
20)

pornography to deal with stress. 21)

When male and female viewers do not believe that exposure to pornography has any
effect upon their personal views or lives,  they more readily internalize abnormal sexual
22)

attitudes and increase the likelihood that they will engage in perverse sexual
behaviors. 23)

All of these distortions amount to a serious misunderstanding about sexuality and

relationships and are a dangerous distortion of the nature of social life.  Those who
24)

perceive pornographic sexual scenes as depicting reality tend to be more accepting of

sexual permissiveness than others.  Prolonged exposure to pornography fosters the
25)

belief that sexual inactivity constitutes a health risk.

26)
4. Sexually Transmitted Disease and Out of
Wedlock Pregnancy
Since pornography encourages sexually permissive attitudes and behavior, users of
pornography have a higher likelihood of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or
fathering an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Pornography’s frequent depiction of intercourse
without condoms (87 percent of the time) is an invitation for the promiscuous to contract
a sexually transmitted disease,  to have a child out of wedlock and to have multiple sex
27)

partners.  Pornography also promotes sexual compulsiveness, which doubles the

28)

likelihood of being infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

29)

5. Sexual Addiction
Pornography and “cybersex” are highly addictive and can lead to sexually compulsive
behaviors (that decrease a person’s capacity to perform other major tasks in life). Over
90 percent of therapists surveyed in one study believed that a person could become
addicted to “cybersex.”  In an American survey, 57 percent of frequent viewers used
30)

online sexual activity to deal with stress.  A 2006 Swedish study of regular Internet
31)

pornography users found that about six percent were compulsive users and that these
compulsives also used much more non-Internet pornography as well. 32)

Addictive pornography use leads to lower self-esteem and a weakened ability to carry
out a meaningful social and work life. A survey of pornography addicts found that they
disliked the “out of control” feeling and the time consumption that their pornography use
engendered. All of the sexual compulsives reported they had felt distressed and
experienced impairment in an important aspect of their lives as a result of their
addiction. Almost half of the sexual compulsives said their behavior had significant
negative results in their social lives, and a quarter reported negative effects on their
job.  In another survey, sexual compulsives and sexual addicts were 23 times more
33)

likely than those without a problem to state that discovering online sexual material was
the worst thing that had ever happened in their life.  No wonder then that severe clinical
34)

depression was reported twice as frequently among Internet pornography users

compared to non-users. 35)

6. Aggression and Abuse

Intense use of pornography is strongly related to sexual aggression,  and among
36)

frequent viewers of pornography, there is a marked increase in sexual callousness,

including the “rape myth acceptance.” 37)

A significant portion of pornography is violent in content. A study of different

pornographic media found violence in almost a quarter of magazine scenes, in more
than a quarter of video scenes, and in almost half (over 42 percent) of online
pornography. A second study found that almost half the violent Internet scenes included
nonconsensual sex. 38)

The data suggest “a modest connection between exposure to pornography and

subsequent behavioral aggression,”  though when men consume violent pornography
39)

(i.e. depicting rape or torture), they are more likely to commit acts of sexual
aggression.  Dangerously, pornography strongly affects psychotic men, who are more
40)

likely to act out their impulses.41)

Consumption of nonviolent pornography also increases men’s self-acknowledged

willingness to force compliance with their particular sexual desires on reluctant
partners.  And though there are conflicting data on the relative effects of violent versus
42)

non-violent pornography,  there is little doubt that the consumption of pornography

43)

leads to a significant increase in “rape myth acceptance,”  which involves a reduction of

44)

sympathy with rape victims and a trivialization of rape as a criminal offense,  a

45)

diminished concern about child sexual abuse, short of the rape of children,  and an
46)

increased preparedness to resort to rape. 47)

One study at a rape crisis center interviewed 100 sexually abused women to determine
if pornography played a role in any past incidences of sexual abuse. While 58 percent
could not say, 28 percent stated that their abuser had in fact used pornography. Of this
28 percent (women who were aware that their abuser used pornography), 40 percent
(or 11 percent of the total group) reported that pornography actually played a role in the
abusive incident they experienced. In some cases, the abuser had watched
pornography before abusing the woman, in one case he used pornography while
committing the abuse, and in yet some other cases he forced his victim to participate in
the making of a pornographic film. 48)