Stand Against Porn’s Harms
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Fight the New Drug exists to raise awareness on the harmful effects of porn using only science, facts, and personal accounts.
The Issue:
Decades of studies from respected institutions have demonstrated significant impacts of porn consumption for individuals, relationships, and society.
Most kids today are exposed to porn by age 13.
Age Of Exposure
Most kids today are exposed to porn by age 13,British Board of Film Classification. (2020). Young people, pornography & age-verification. BBFC. Retrieved from https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/researchCopy with 84.4% of males and 57% of females ages 14-18 having viewed porn.Wright, P. J., Paul, B., & Herbenick, D. (2021). Preliminary insights from a U.S. probability sample on adolescents’ pornography exposure, media psychology, and sexual aggression. J.Health Commun., 26(1), 39-46. doi:10.1080/10810730.2021.1887980Copy
LEARN MORE73% of teens have seen it.
Age Of Exposure
In one 2023 study, all participants reported that they were exposed to porn by age 12. Another 15% said they saw it for the first time when they were 10 years old or younger. Most teens (73%) reported that they have consumed pornography.1. Robb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy
LEARN MOREAt least 1 in 3 porn videos show sexual violence or aggression.
Violent Content
1 out of every 8Vera-Gray, F., McGlynn, C., Kureshi, I., & Butterby, K. (2021). Sexual violence as a sexual script in mainstream online pornography. The British Journal of Criminology, doi:10.1093/bjc/azab035Copy porn titles shown to first-time users on porn site home pages describe acts of sexual violence, and at least 1 in 3Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy porn videos show sexual violence or aggression.
LEARN MORE53% of boys and 39% of girls believe that pornography is a realistic depiction of sex.
Violent Content
1 out of every 8Vera-Gray, F., McGlynn, C., Kureshi, I., & Butterby, K. (2021). Sexual violence as a sexual script in mainstream online pornography. The British Journal of Criminology, doi:10.1093/bjc/azab035Copy porn titles shown to first-time users on porn site home pages describe acts of sexual violence, and at least 1 in 3Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy porn videos show sexual violence or aggression.
LEARN MOREPorn consumers tend to be less satisfied in relationships, less committed, and more permissive of cheating.
Harm to Relationships
Research shows that people who consume porn tend to become less satisfied in their relationships,Rasmussen, K. (2016). A historical and empirical review of pornography and romantic relationships: Implications for family researchers. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(2), 173-191. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12141Copy Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., Kraus, A., & Klann, E. (2017). Pornography consumption and satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Human Communication Research, 43(3), 315-343. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12108Copy less committed to their partner,Lambert, N. M., Negash, S., Stillman, T. F., Olmstead, S. B., & Fincham, F. D. (2012). A love that doesn't last: Pornography consumption and weakened commitment to one's romantic partner. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 31(4), 410-438. doi:10.1521/jscp.2012.31.4.410Copy Rasmussen, K. (2016). A historical and empirical review of pornography and romantic relationships: Implications for family researchers. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(2), 173-191. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12141Copy and more accepting of cheating.Rasmussen, K. (2016). A historical and empirical review of pornography and romantic relationships: Implications for family researchers. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(2), 173-191. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12141Copy
LEARN MOREThere is virtually no way to guarantee that pornographic content is consensual.
Nonconsensual Content & Abuse
There have been many documented instances of verified accounts posting nonconsensual content, child sexual abuse material, or content made of sex trafficking victims.Pornhub sued by 40 Girls Do Porn sex trafficking victim. (2020). BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55333403Copy ParlVu. (2021). Meeting no. 20 ETHI— Standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics. Retrieved from https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20210219/-1/34789?Language=English&Stream=VideoCopy
LEARN MOREExploitation and trafficking are common experiences in the porn industry.
Exploitation & Trafficking
Research involving current and former porn performers suggests that exploitation and trafficking are common experiences in the porn industry,Donevan, M. (2021). “In this industry, you're no longer human”: An exploratory study of women’s experiences in pornography production in Sweden. Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence. 6(3) doi:10.23860/dignity.2021.06.03.01Copy with pornography ranking as the third-most common form of traffickingPolaris. (2020). 2019 data report: The U.S. national human trafficking hotline. Retrieved from https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Polaris-2019-US-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline-Data-Report.pdfCopy reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
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