The harm from Porn

24 November 2015
The evidence of the great harm from Pornography continues to mount. An excellent report just released by the American College of Pediatricians (ACOP) “The Impact of Pornography on Children”  is a must read for everyone. ACOP is an outstanding group of physicians and health professionals who are taking strong, medically and scientifically based positions on a range of issues affecting children and adolescents. We have worked closely with them on a number of issues over the years. Their report outlines some of the research showing that when males watch porn they tend to:

• Change their views on the seriousness of the crime of rape to be more accepting of it
• Develop a more callous attitude towards women generally
• Experience less interest in marriage and greater acceptance of infidelity in marriage
• Have an increased interest in deviant sexual activity
• Have less interest in having children
• Have an increasingly accepting attitude toward promiscuity
• Experience lower satisfaction with their current sexual partner and more.

The report also summarizes changes in brain structure and function in those who view pornography and underscores the evidence showing the addictive nature of porn.

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There is also growing evidence that children are being exposed to pornography at ever younger ages.   Some of this exposure, unfortunately, is coming in schools as a result of the growing incorporation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) around the world that inappropriately sexualizes young children. In fact, just this week it was reported that a school in California had placed pornographic paintings depicting vulgar sex acts in bathrooms and all around the school.

Once images like these enter a child’s brain, it is very difficult, if not near impossible, to erase them from the brain.

With regard to Internet porn, the porn industry overall has reported declining profits in recent years, but this is not good news.   Revenues are falling largely because of the increasing availability of free porn. It is literally only a few keystrokes away for any child with access to the Internet.

As the ACOP study reports, “Pornography exposure for children and adolescents has become almost ubiquitous.” They cite one British study that found that nearly a third of the students surveyed reported that their first exposure to pornography was when they were 10 years old or younger.

The ACOP report concludes: “Consumption of pornography is associated with many negative emotional, psychological and physical health outcomes.   These include increased rates of depression, anxiety, acting out and violent behaviour, younger age of sexual debut, sexual promiscuity, increased risk of teen pregnancy, and a distorted view of relationships between men and women.   For adults, pornography results in an increased likelihood of divorce, which is also harmful to children. The American College of Paediatricians urges healthcare professionals to communicate the risks of pornography use to patients and their families and to offer resources both to protect children from viewing pornography and to treat individuals suffering from its negative effects.”
http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/the-impact-of-pornography-on-children