In our national conversation about sexual harassment and sexual assault, we’re leaving out an important factor– pornography. Research from multiple studies shows consumption of pornography is highly correlated with violence against women. For ethical reasons, it’s difficult to prove causation in studies, but this study shows that, for many teens, pornography consumption often predicts sexual harassment.
The study, published in academic journal Communication Research, surveyed almost one thousand young teenagers. 66% of the boys reported they had seen pornography in the last year at least once. Two years later, the boys who had seen pornography were more likely to have sexually harassed someone than the boys who had not seen pornography. These boys also had less progressive gender role attitudes, more permissive attitudes about sex, and were more likely to be sexually active.
You can read more about the study here.
They say we are what we eat, but as members of modern society, we’re equally likely to become what we watch. Our brains are wired to pay attention to sexual imagery, and teens are already eager to learn about sex from whoever will teach them. In pornography, violence and degradation are made attractive, commitment is undesirable, and love is irrelevant. Obviously, this is not what we want our teenagers to be taught. Exposure to pornography at an early age shapes attitudes about gender, sexuality, and relationships for life!
Protect your teens and block all online pornography from your home!