Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
Studies show that frequent porn consumers are more likely to carry out sexual violence in real life.
Researchers have found that approximately 95% of the targets of violence or aggression in porn appeared either neutral to the abuse, or were depicted as responding with pleasure.
Research shows that mainstream porn featuring people of color often promotes racism by focusing on degrading stereotypes.
Teenagers feel that they are frequently encountering online pornography without intending to view it and describe these encounters as unwanted, uncomfortable and unavoidable.
Research indicates that only 18.3% of women in popular porn videos (compared to 78% of men) were depicted as reaching climax.
Pornography is the 2nd-most common form of sex trafficking, according to cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Research has shown that those who don’t consume porn report higher relationship quality—on every measure— than those who viewed pornography alone.
According to a 2016 study, people who view porn regularly are less likely to get married than those who do not. Researchers suggest this may be because consumers see porn as a substitute for sexual gratification in a relationship.
According to one survey of nonconsensual pornography victims, 51% reported having suicidal thoughts due to the image-based abuse, and 93% reported experiencing severe emotional distress.
Research assessing the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in treating porn addiction found that “over 95% of clients were able to manage symptoms at the end of the twelve weeks and 78% sustained recovery six months following treatment.”
While many LGBTQ+ youth turn to porn to learn more about their own sexuality, porn often fetishizes, misrepresents, and exploits LGBTQ+ people in damaging ways.
According to one report on domestic minor sex trafficking, survivors indicate that they were sometimes “advertised” on porn sites.
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