While there are many ways that pornography harms children, every child who views pornography will not necessarily be affected and, at worst, traumatised in the same way. The effects of pornography are progressive and addictive for many people. However, since pornography has a door to the home and school through DVD vendors and the Internet, it is important to look at the many ways that pornography can potentially harm our children.
Exposure to pornography threatens to make children victims of sexual violence
The Internet has proven a useful tool for paedophiles and sexual predators as they distribute child pornography, engage in sexually explicit conversations with children, and seek victims in chat rooms. The more pornography these individuals access, the higher the risk of their acting out what they see, including sexual assault, rape, and child molestation.
Pornography’s relationship to rape and sexual violence
According to one study, early exposure (under 14 years of age) to pornography is related to greater involvement in deviant sexual practice, particularly rape. Slightly more than one-third of the child molesters and rapists in the study claimed to have at least occasionally been incited to commit an offense by exposure to pornography.
Pornography’s relationship to child molestation
In a study of convicted child molesters, 77 per cent of those who molested boys and 87 per cent of those who molested girls admitted to the habitual use of pornography in the commission of their crimes.
Exposure to pornography frequently results in sexual illnesses, unplanned pregnancies, and sexual addiction
As more and more children are exposed not only to soft-core pornography, but also to explicit deviant sexual material, they are learning an extremely dangerous message from pornographers: sex without responsibility is acceptable and desirable.
Exposure to pornography may incite children to act out sexually against other children
Children often imitate what they’ve seen, read, or heard. Studies suggest that exposure to pornography can prompt kids to act out sexually against younger, smaller, and more vulnerable children.
Exposure to pornography shapes attitudes and values
Most of us caring, responsible parents want to instill in our children our own personal values about relationships, sex, intimacy, love, and marriage. Unfortunately, the powerful irresponsible messages of pornography may be educating our children on these very important life issues. When male subjects were exposed to as little as six weeks’ worth of standard hard-core pornography, they:
* Developed an increased sexual callousness toward women
* Began to trivialise rape as a criminal offense or no longer considered it a crime at all
* Developed distorted perceptions about sexuality
* Developed an appetite for more deviant, bizarre, or violent types of pornography (normal sex no longer seemed to do the job)
* Devalued the importance of monogamy and lacked confidence in marriage as either a viable or lasting institution
* Viewed non-monogamous relationships as normal and natural behaviour
Exposure to pornography interferes with a Child’s development and identity
During certain critical periods of childhood, a child’s brain is being programmed for sexual orientation. During this period, the mind appears to be developing a “hardwire” for what the person will be aroused by or attracted to. Exposure to healthy sexual norms and attitudes during this critical period can result in the child developing a healthy sexual orientation.
Source: www.protectkids.com