Join us as we raise awareness to stop the demand for pornography and sexual exploitation through education and awareness. We invite you to educate yourself and others on how porn fuels the demand for exploitation, sex trafficking, objectification, sexualized racism, nonconsensual content, sexual violence and abuse, and child sexual abuse. Together, we can #StopTheDemand.
Stop The Demand
for Sex Trafficking
Pornography is the 3rd-most common form of sex trafficking.
Pornography is the 3rd-most common form of sex trafficking, according to cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.Polaris. (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
The average age a minor is forced into porn production is 12.8 years old.
Of domestic minor trafficking victims who had been forced into porn production, the average age they began being filmed was 12.8 years old.Bouché, V. (2018). Survivor insights: The role of technology in domestic minor sex trafficking. Thorn. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Thorn_Survivor_Insights_090519.pdfCopy
Minor sex trafficking victims have been “advertised” on porn sites.
According to one report on domestic minor sex trafficking, survivors indicated that they were sometimes “advertised” on porn sites.Bouché, V. (2015). A report on the use of technology to recruit, groom and sell domestic minor sex trafficking victims. Thorn. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Survivor_Survey_r5.pdfCopy
Many sexual predators show their victims pornography during the grooming process.
Reports show that many sexual predators show their victims pornography during the grooming process in order to normalize the sexual abuse they will experience.International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. (2017). Online grooming of children for sexual purposes: Model legislation & global review. ( No. 1). Retrieved from https://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Online-Grooming-of-Children_FINAL_9-18-17.pdfCopy Lanning, K. V. (2010). Child molesters: A behavioral analysis for professionals investigating the sexual exploitation of children. (No. 5). National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Retrieved from https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/publications/nc70.pdfCopy
Stop The Demand
for Child Sexual Abuse
Exposure to pornography increases a child’s likelihood of being sexually assaulted.
Exposure to pornography greatly increases a child’s likelihood of being a victim of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other forms of physical and sexual victimization.Ybarra, M., Mitchell, K. (2005). Exposure to internet pornography among children and adolescents: A national survey. Cyberpsychology & Behavior : The Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society, 8 5(473-86), 10.1089/cpb.2005.8.473. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2005.8.473.Copy
Child sexual abuse material is growing at alarming rates.
Child sexual abuse material (also known as “child pornography”) is a more rampant issue than ever before and is growing at alarming rates.Keller, M. H., & Dance, G. J. X. (2019). ‘If those were pictures of you, you would understand’. The New York Times Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/us/online-child-abuse.htmlCopy
“Teen”- is one of the most consistently popular porn themes.
Research shows that “teen” is one of the most consistently popular porn themes, and that this theme is 1) becoming increasingly popular, and 2) includes the portrayal of underage characters.Walker, A., Makin, D. A., & Morczek, A. L. (2016). Finding Lolita: A comparative analysis of interest in youth-oriented pornography. Sexuality & Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 20(3), 657–683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-016-9355-0Copy
Stop The Demand
for Sexual Violence & Abuse
1 out of every 8 porn titles on porn home pages describe acts of sexual violence.
1 out of every 8 porn titles shown to first-time users on porn home pages describe acts of sexual violence, according to a 2021 study.YVera-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
Frequent porn consumers are less likely to intervene during a sexual assault.
Research suggests that frequent porn consumers are less likely to intervene during a sexual assault.Foubert, J. D., & Bridges, A. J. (2017). What Is the Attraction? Pornography Use Motives in Relation to Bystander Intervention. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(20), 3071–3089. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515596538Copy Foubert, J. D., Brosi, M. W., & Bannon, R. S. (2011). Pornography viewing among fraternity men: Effects on bystander intervention, rape myth acceptance and behavioral intent to commit sexual assault.18(4), 212-231. doi:10.1080/10720162.2011.625552Copy
Frequent porn consumers are more likely to report an intent to rape.
Research suggests that frequent porn consumers are significantly less likely to intervene as a bystander during rape and are more likely to report an intent to rape.Foubert, J. D., Brosi, M. W., & Bannon, R. S. (2011). Pornography viewing among fraternity men: Effects on bystander intervention, rape myth acceptance and behavioral intent to commit sexual assault.18(4), 212-231. doi:10.1080/10720162.2011.625552Copy
Women are almost always the targets of violence or aggression in porn.
Research shows that women are almost always the targets of violence or aggression in porn —about 97% of the time.Fritz, 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
Stop The Demand
for Nonconsensual Content
Porn consumers are more likely to forward intimate images without consent.
Research shows that porn consumers are more likely to forward intimate images without consent.van Oosten, Johanna M. F., & Vandenbosch, L. (2020). Predicting the willingness to engage in non-consensual forwarding of sexts: The role of pornography and instrumental notions of sex. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(4), 1121-1132. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01580-2Copy
1 in 12 U.S. adults report that they have been victims of “revenge porn.”
1 in 12 U.S. adults report that they have been victims of image-based abuse —sometimes called “revenge porn”—and 1 in 20 report that they have been perpetrators of image-based abuse.Ruvalcaba, Y., & Eaton, A. A. (2020). Nonconsensual pornography among U.S. adults: A sexual scripts framework on victimization, perpetration, and health correlates for women and men. Psychology of Violence, 10(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000233Copy
The porn industry has an extensive history of profiting from nonconsensual content and abuse.
The porn industry has an extensive history of profiting from nonconsensual content and abuse; virtually every major porn site has had issues with nonconsensual content and abuse.Kristof, N. (2021). Why do we let corporations profit from rape videos? New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/opinion/sunday/companies-online-rape-videos.htmlCopy Kristof, N. (2020). The children of Pornhub. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/04/opinion/sunday/pornhub-rape-trafficking.htmlCopy
Stop The Demand
for Objectification
People who consume porn frequently are more likely to objectify and dehumanize others.
Research shows that people who consume porn frequently are more likely to objectify and dehumanize others.Skorska, M.N., Hodson, G., & Hoffarth, M.R. (2018). Experimental effects of degrading versus erotic pornography exposure in men on reactions toward women (objectification, sexism, discrimination). The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27, 261 – 276.Copy Zhou, Y., Liu, T., Yan, Y., & Paul, B. (2021). Pornography use, two forms of dehumanization, and sexual aggression: Attitudes vs. behaviors. J.Sex Marital Ther., 1-20. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2021.1923598Copy
Women whose partners consume porn tend to have poorer body image.
Women whose partners consume porn tend to experience more psychological distress, feel more objectified, have poorer body image, and are even more likely to develop eating disorder symptoms.Tylka, T. L., & Kroon Van Diest, A. M. (2015). You Looking at Her “Hot” Body May Not be “Cool” for Me: Integrating Male Partners’ Pornography Use into Objectification Theory for Women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 39(1), 67–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684314521784Copy
Stop The Demand
for Sexualized Racism
Mainstream porn featuring people of color often focuses on degrading stereotypes.
Research shows that mainstream porn featuring people of color often promotes racism by focusing on degrading stereotypes.Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2021). Worse than objects: The depiction of black women and men and their sexual relationship in pornography. Gender Issues, 38(1), 100-120. doi:10.1007/s12147-020-09255-2Copy Zhou, Y., & Paul, B. (2016). Lotus blossom or dragon lady: A content analysis of “Asian women” online pornography. Sexuality & Culture, 20(4), 1083-1100. doi:10.1007/s12119-016-9375-9Copy
Porn featuring Black people perpetuate harmful racist stereotypes.
A 2021 study analyzed videos from popular porn sites and found that porn featuring Black people perpetuate harmful racist stereotypes, disproportionately emphasizes violence and aggression, and often depicts Black people as “worse than objects.”Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2021). Worse than objects: The depiction of black women and men and their sexual relationship in pornography. Gender Issues, 38(1), 100-120. doi:10.1007/s12147-020-09255-2Copy
Porn featuring Asian people often presents Asian women as submissive objects.
Research has found that porn featuring Asian people often promotes racism by focusing on degrading stereotypes, including presenting Asian women as submissive objects.Zhou, Y., & Paul, B. (2016). Lotus blossom or dragon lady: A content analysis of “Asian women” online pornography. Sexuality & Culture, 20(4), 1083-1100. doi:10.1007/s12119-016-9375-9Copy
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