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Paul Schmidt

Vilja Johnson and Tara Boyce

English 312

9 April 2012

Teens and pornography: What can parents do?

Throughout history there have been many things that have

plagued human society, but there is one in particular that has

been especially prevalent in recent years: pornography.

Pornography is defined as sexually explicit images in all forms

of media, from printed magazines to digital pictures on the

internet. Upon reaching adolescence, everyone develops interest

in or, more accurately, a curiosity for the opposite sex; this is

only natural. However, this curiosity will, in many cases, lead

to experimentation with sex, which can in turn lead to unwanted

pregnancies among teenage girls. There are various reasons why

teens decide to have sex, ranging from pure curiosity to wanting

to become more intimate with their boyfriend or girlfriend.

If teens view internet pornography at home, who is to be

held accountable for any ensuing sexual activity influenced by

such images? As legal guardians of their children, parents are

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by nature responsible for their upbringing, which includes values

and principles taught to them in the home. If teens have access

to pornography in their own homes, whether on the family computer

or their own, should parents exercise their “authority” and

place content filters on computers accessed at home in order to

prevent the viewing of pornography, whether intentional or not?

Many teens will have been exposed to pornography in some

form by the time they enter high school, mainly due to its

overabundance and ease of access on the internet, whether it be a

computer at home, a laptop, or any number of mobile devices with

internet access. Its availability does not necessarily mean,

however, that all teenagers have actively sought after it. On

the other hand, one must take into account the many instances of

accidental exposure to internet pornography, which may or may not

lead to more exposure. Seeking after pornography does not, in

all cases, inevitably lead to a debilitating addiction;

nevertheless, such a habit could potentially develop into an

obsession that could take over someone’s life completely if left

unbridled.

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Some parents may be reluctant to restrict internet content

with parental control filters set to block any website with

obscene, vulgar, or excessively violent content, and, most

importantly, any sexually explicit images. Granted some parents

may not be as restrictive as others, perhaps only blocking

pornographic sites and images. Even still, there are some

parents who feel perfectly fine giving their children full,

unrestricted access to the internet, fully trusting them to make

good choices of content on their own. Another issue parents

might have with content filters is that occasionally even some

legitimate, completely safe websites might be flagged as

pornographic and thus deprive their children of potential

educational knowledge. True, the teens could simply ask their

parents to override the block, but that seems to be too much of a

hassle; besides, there are undoubtedly going to be times when the

teens’ parents aren’t at home and thus they would be denied

access to that website, which they might need to complete a

school assignment. Others are quick to point out that not even

the best filter can possibly block every single pornographic site

due to the ever-changing nature of the internet. They may not

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feel inclined to take the extra effort to set up a filter since

they don’t believe it would make much of a difference. They feel

that their teenage children are old enough to decide for

themselves what kind of media they want to expose themselves to.

They may also downplay the impact that pornography might have on

their teens, convincing themselves that they will know if it

starts to become a problem. However, such parents may not be

fully aware of exactly what their children are viewing on the

internet and, even if they directly confront their children about

it, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee their children’s honesty.

Another significant issue in regards to pornography is not

all parents are aware of the effects viewing pornography can have

on their adolescent children. Some parents may say that viewing

pornography is normal for curious adolescents who are still

trying to discover their own sexuality or sexual identity. On

the other hand, other parents strongly believe that pornography

has no positive effects whatsoever; in their view, pornography is

actually harmful for their children. They may even argue that

pornography usage can lead to sexual activity, encouraging teens

to carry out the sex acts they have seen depicted in pornographic

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images. Besides some possible emotional effects resulting from

sex, parents with teenagers are especially concerned that their

sons may get some girl pregnant or that some guy will get their

own daughters pregnant, in both cases resulting in serious issues

of responsibility and accountability; they all together must

determine the fate of the developing fetus. However, whether

pornography is to blame for this is still the subject of a heated

debate.

Some studies have found pornography to have little to no

effect on the sexual activities of adolescents. For example, in

a study that surveyed Swiss adolescents measuring their exposure

to internet pornography, the researchers gave the following

conclusion to their study: “… our findings demonstrated that the

majority of risky sexual behaviors, such as early sexual

initiation, multiple sexual partners or a history of pregnancy

were not associated with SEM [sexually explicit material]

exposure whether it was voluntary or not” (Luder et al 1032).

The researchers noted, however, that their findings were

contradictory to similar studies in the United States,

attributing the discrepancy to a “high level of sexual health

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literacy” in Switzerland, thus decreasing the influence

pornography might have on their sexual behavior (Luder et al

1033). This study brings up a new variable in this discussion:

the effect of culture in regards to attitudes towards

pornography. Apparently the effect of pornography on adolescents

is not universal worldwide. It’s not that the pornography is any

less sexually explicit, but rather that the culture and society

in which one is raised create different perceptions of sexuality.

Similarly, in a study conducted with 718 Swedish adolescents

on whether or not viewing pornography had an effect on their

sexual activity, over half of those surveyed said pornography had

“no influence” (qtd. in Melby 4). Still, it has been observed

that teenagers will be influenced by sexually explicit images

only to the extent that they perceive these images as realistic

sexual behavior (Melby 4). Thus, the more unrealistic a

pornographic image is, the less likely it will be to influence

adolescents’ sexual behavior.

On the other hand, other research has yielded different

results. In a study surveying over 2,000 Dutch adolescents

investigating the correlation of pornography and attitudes

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towards sexual behavior, the researchers concluded: “With

greater exposure to sexually explicit Internet material,

adolescents … held more positive attitudes toward uncommitted

sexual exploration” (Peter and Valkenburg 595). Thus, a

relationship between pornography use and sex can be drawn from

the results of this study. Although there was a relatively high

percentage of the adolescents surveyed who reported never viewing

pornography, pornography had a significant influence on those who

did report viewing it. The study also tested for adolescents’

attitudes of sexual uncertainty and also found a positive

correlation with the viewing of sexually explicit material. In

yet another study, there was a direct relationship found between

amount of pornography exposure and adolescents’ attitudes towards

sexual permissiveness; that is, as exposure to sexually explicit

material increased, sexual permissiveness also increased (Braun-

Courville and Rojas 159). In other words, the more times

teenagers have viewed pornography, the more relaxed and casual

their attitudes will be concerning what they consider to be

“acceptable” sexual activities.

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Another significant issue is that of teenagers and

pornography addiction. Pornography addiction has been compared

to drug addiction because of the chemical processes involved.

John Mark Haney, Ph.D., a professional counselor, explained it

this way:

Pornography can create a powerful biochemical “rush” in the

user. When a teenager is subjected to an arousing image, the

adrenal gland secretes epinephrine into the bloodstream,

where it proceeds to the brain and locks the image in. Once

this has occurred, the simple thought of the image can

trigger a feeling of arousal…. Teens who experience this

biochemical thrill will, not surprisingly, want to

experience it again (Haney 50).

According to Haney, this “rush” that accompanies arousal when

viewing an erotic image is so strong that it will leave a

permanent impression in our brains where it can be recalled

anytime and cause a similar sexual “high.” Just as addictive

drugs cause a chemical imbalance in the brain, the powerful

stimulus of a sexually explicit image can similarly distort the

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viewer’s perceived conception of his or her own sexuality or the

conception of sexuality in general.

Pornography can be harmful in many other ways. Dr. Colleen

Bryant, a research analyst at the Australian Institute of

Criminology, identifies four main areas of concern for potential

harm on adolescents from pornography use. Pornography can: (1)

“interfere with normal sexual development;” (2) “foster ‘open’

sexual lifestyles … and ‘unnatural’ practices;” (3) “undermine

physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing;” and (4)

“undermine relationships and foster sexual violence” (Bryant 3).

A disruption in normal sexual development can lead to teens

experimenting with sex prematurely. What is being referred to as

“open” sexual lifestyles can include teens wanting to have

multiple sex partners which interferes with developing healthy

relationships with the opposite sex; this could also decrease the

chances of teens being satisfied with one partner and thus also

hinder the desire to get married and start a family. “Unnatural”

sexual practices include anal and oral sex and homosexuality.

According to Bryant, pornography undermines teens’ wellbeing

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because it “generate[s] shame, guilt, anxiety, confusion, poor

social

bonds, and addictions” (Bryant 3). Shame and guilt can result

from pornography usage due to various factors. For example, due

to its very nature, teens have to view pornography in secret

behind everyone’s back, so to speak; this secrecy carries with it

a sort of “taboo” because they know they’re not supposed to be

looking at it and their parents would probably “kill them” if

they ever found out. Excessive viewing of pornography can lead

to an addiction, which can be just as addicting and damaging as a

drug addiction. People who have overcome an addiction to

pornography can testify of the intense struggle that it took to

finally break free.

A recent study conducted at Oklahoma State University

examined the possible correlation between pornography consumption

by male members of college fraternities and their subsequent

self-scored likelihood of committing rape or other sexual assault

in hypothetical scenarios. The researchers found that “men who

saw mainstream pornography scored significantly higher on self-

reported likelihood of raping and likelihood of committing sexual

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assault than men who did not see mainstream pornography during

the last 12 months” (Foubert et al 221). This is quite the

significant correlation, though it may be discredited due to

seemingly obvious and predictable results. Even so, it does

effectively demonstrate the persuasive nature of sexually

explicit material on impressionable, young college men. This

study might also be dismissed because of the limitations of the

young men interviewed, considering the generally high sexual

activity of male and female members of college fraternities, thus

making them more susceptible to erotic media. Nevertheless, the

results of the study still succeed in proving that the influence

that pornography can have on thoughts and attitudes toward sexual

behavior is real, rather than the myth or “fantasy” it has been

downplayed as. Some people will go so far as to claim that

pornography is not at all harmful, but that its effects are the

complete opposite—that is, that pornography in fact helps improve

relationships. However far-fetched it may sound, there have in

fact been studies conducted to prove this very claim. One such

study conducted in Denmark found that both men and women

“generally consider hardcore pornography a positive influence in

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their lives” (qtd in Hutson 6). Even with this evidence, it must

be remembered that everyone the world over has their own unique

attitudes and preferences towards sexuality; what one person

considers sexual ecstasy may be viewed by someone else as highly

offensive and inappropriate. Both people’s opinions are equally

valid; as the old adage goes, “To each his own.”

There has been much controversy as to whether pornography

usage increases violent sexual crimes. One study found that

“everywhere it was scientifically investigated that as

pornography has increased in availability, sex crimes have either

decreased or not increased” (Diamond 304). Another study

performed in the Czech Republic immediately following a new law

legalizing pornography in the country found similar results:

despite the new availability of pornography, violent sexual

crimes (such as rape) did not increase (Diamond et al 1037).

However, evidence has been found that does indicate a

correlation. For example, one study concluded that “pornography

use was positively correlated with coercive sexual behavior and

was predictive of sexual aggression” (Malamuth et al 26). It

must be pointed out, however, that pornography will have a

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greater influence on men who are more prone to violence and

aggression than those not so predisposed. Be that as it may,

pornography is still having an effect on sexual crimes regardless

of the relatively small number of sexual offenders compared with

the majority of the world’s population. Still, something needs

to be done to decrease the occurrence of rape and other sexual

crimes. Is it not then conceivable that a small number of

teenagers who are addicted to pornography may grow up to be sex

offenders? As small as the likelihood might be, don’t we owe it

to all the potential sex crime victims to protect our teenagers

from sexually explicit material so that they will grow up to be

upstanding citizens instead of porn addicts?

Whether parents should place content filters on their home

computers is something that all parents must decide as determined

by personal family needs. What must be taken into account is the

associated pros and cons of using internet filters. Christy

Matte, a former About.com guide, lists the following pros:

Prevents children from deliberately or inadvertently

accessing pornography.

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Helps prevent predators from talking to your children

online.

Allows kids to surf online without constant parental

presence.

and the following cons:

Can sometimes filter out “safe” sites, words and people.

May create a false sense of security for parents.

Tech-savvy kids may find a way around filters, or may access

inappropriate content elsewhere (Matte).

The last “con” point is one that deserves special attention.

It brings up an underlying fear that parents have for their

children: “What if our children are still able to access

pornography despite all our efforts? It seems like there’s

nothing we can do tom prevent it.” Parents are naturally worried

about their children’s health and wellbeing. Any parents could

testify of the sheer frustration it takes to raise a family; this

frustration is naturally intensified when their children

deliberately disobey them and break the rules and standards their

parents have only established for the wellbeing of their

children. Many a child has wandered off the straight path their

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parents have paved for them. Many a mother or father has shed

many tears on behalf of their wayward children. Could viewing

pornography really lead to so such sorrow and pain for parents?

Certainly not in all cases, but definitely in others. It all

comes down to how strong the influence from pornography is on

their children. Even if it is just in a minority of cases, isn’t

every child just as precious as another? It is for this reason

that our teenagers (and younger children) must be safeguarded

from this plague of filth and sensuality.

As noted in the “pros” above, internet filters can do more

than block pornographic sites and images. In fact, they can be

adjusted to even filter out any kind of offensive content,

ranging from profanity to hate speech to graphic violence. The

good thing about these content filters is that they can be

adjusted to fit the level of offensive content as determined by

each individual set of parents, however high or low as they deem

appropriate. In fact, parents can even block any number of

specific websites that they don’t want their children to go to.

Regarding concerns that “safe” sites might be blocked, all that

has to be done to remedy this problem is for the parents to

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simply unblock a certain site after careful examination of its

contents.

I must admit, however, that based on my own personal

experience with internet filters, they are in no way flawless.

Being a student at Brigham Young University where there is a

filter on every computer on campus and on wireless internet

access from on-campus housing, I know what it’s like and can

relate to parents who are deliberating on whether to install a

content filter on their home computer(s). I, too, have

experienced frustration when sites I know are perfectly safe are

inaccessible because they have been blocked by the filter;

however, the university does allow students to submit a website

review request to the IT department, and then, if found to have

no objectionable content, it can be unblocked and access will be

restored. Nevertheless, many students may feel it a hassle to

have to submit a report and then wait for it to be approved,

especially if immediate access is needed to complete a paper or

other assignment. Although the university can’t be 100% sure

that every single pornographic website has been blocked, I can

guarantee the administrators can still sleep with peace of

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conscience knowing that at least most of the available

pornography is most likely blocked. And honestly, when all is

said and done, at the end of the day parents, too, can have peace

of mind knowing they’ve done all they can, and—you know what?—

that’s enough. Parents spend too much time beating themselves up

over their children, branding themselves “failures” because they

don’t have the “perfect” family they’ve always dreamed of having;

we should all remember all the good we’ve done and how we have

literally made the world a better place because we were born. As

Ralph Waldo Emerson summed it up: “To laugh often and much; to

win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of

children … to leave the world a better place … to know even one

life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have

succeeded” (Great Inspirational Quotes).

To those of you who may still be deliberating whether or not

to place an internet filter on your family computer, ponder this

question: “Can I knowingly allow my child to view pornography in

my home, which is supposed to be a safe refuge from the evil

influences of a corrupt, degenerate world?” Isn’t that what you,

as parents, signed up for in the first place? Although it’s true

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that only in an ideal world would all parents embrace this

important responsibility, I am willing to place my faith and

trust in the scores of good, caring parents all throughout the

world who will champion the cause of the children to ensure the

bright future of the rising generation. Can we really afford to

let them down?

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Works Cited

Braun-Courville, Debra K. and Mary Rojas. “Exposure to Sexually

Explicit Web Sites and

Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors.” Journal of

Adolescent Health 45.2

(Aug. 2009): 156-162. ScienceDirect. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.

Bryant, Colleen. “Adolescence, pornography and harm.” Trends &

Issues in Crime and

Criminal Justice No. 368 (Feb. 2009): 1-6. Pornharmsresearch.com.

Web. 7 Apr.

2012.

Diamond, Milton. “Pornography, \Public Acceptance and Sex-

related Crime: A Review.”

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International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 32.5 (Sep.-Oct. 2009):

304-314.

ScienceDirect. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.

Diamond, Milton, Eva Jozifkova, and Petr Weiss. “Pornography and

Sex Crimes in the Czech

Republic.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 40.5 (2011): 1037-1043.

SpringerLink. Web.

7 Apr. 2012.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Great-inspirational-quotes.com. Web. 7 Apr.

2012.

Foubert, John D., Matthew W Brosi, and R. Sean Bannon.

“Pornography Viewing among

Fraternity Men: Effects on Bystander Intervention, Rape Myth

Acceptance and

Behavioral Intent to Commit Sexual Assault.” Sexual Addiction

and Compulsivity 18.4

(2011): 212-231. Academia.edu. Web. 8 Apr. 2012.

Haney, John Mark. “Teenagers and Pornography Addiction: Treating

the Silent Epidemic.”

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Counseling Outfitters. Article 10. Pornharmsresearch.com. Web. 27

Mar. 2012.

Hutson, Matthew. “Vice or Virtue?” Psychology Today 41.1 (Feb.

2008): 6. EBSCO. Web.

8 Apr. 2012.

Luder, Marie-Thérèse, Isabelle Pittet, André Berchtold et al.

“Associations Between Online

Pornography and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents: Myth or

Reality?” Archives

of Sexual Behavior 40.5 (Oct. 2011): 1027-1035. SpringerLink.

Web. 22 Feb. 2012.

Malamuth, Neil M., Tamara Addison, and Mary Koss. “Pornography

And Sexual Aggression:

Are There Reliable Effects And Can We Understand Them?"

Annual Review of Sex

Research 11 (2000): 26-93. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Collection. Web.

7 Apr. 2012.

Matte, Christy. “Why You May Need an Internet Filter: How a

Software Package Can Keep

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Your Family Safe.” About.com Family Technology. Web. 7 Apr.

2012.

Melby, Todd. “Teens, Porn and the Digital Age.” Contemporary

Sexuality 44.9 (Sep. 2010):

1, 4-5. EBSCO HOST. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.

Peter, Jochen and Patti M. Valkenburg. “Adolescents' Exposure to

Sexually Explicit Internet

Material, Sexual Uncertainty, and Attitudes toward

Uncommitted Sexual Exploration:

Is There a Link?” Communication Research 35.5 (Oct. 2008):

579-601. SAGE

Journals. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.