I recently came across a survey from Cosmopolitan that reported that 36 percent of women use pornography as a “sex enhancer.” In another Cosmo article, the magazine implores its readers to explore the many “benefits” of pornography. Pornography use has become normalized in our culture. Porn stars are now mainstream icons; little girls wear the Playboy bunny with pride on their T-shirts. The powerful porn industry wants us (and our children) to believe that porn is just harmless fun, but contrary to what the culture says, pornography is not just harmless fun.
It’s important that as we talk to our kids, we help them understand that the pornography industry is filled with victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Many popular pornography stars have confessed that they were molested as children or that they felt forced into the industry. Lots of women we work with who have come out of the industry talk about the emotional, spiritual, and physical pain they endured as pornography actresses. Many have STDs and have undergone numerous surgeries to keep up with the porn star standard, and some have had to have surgeries to repair torn orifices.
As former porn star Shelly Lubben shared in an event before Congress, many women experience verbal and physical abuse on the porn set. Porn Star Jersey Jaxin shared her experience in porn: “Guys are punching you in the face. You have semen all over your face, in your eyes. You get ripped. Your insides can come out of you. It’s never ending. Porn star Reagan Star describes in an interview with Talk magazine, “while sex acts were performed on her she was hit and choked until she couldn’t breathe.” Women are also forced into sex acts they never agreed to, including prostitution. Agents send girls to do scenes but upon arrival are tricked into doing “privates” with men off the street. If they complain to their agents, they are threatened they will be sued, blacklisted from working, or worse, they receive physical threats. As Lubben explained, this is sex trafficking.
As we will highlight in the next week, there are numerous connections between the sex trafficking world and the pornography industry. It can be very difficult to distinguish between a legal, 18-year-old pornography actress and a 14-year-old who has been forced by her father or pimp to perform on screen. Brothel owners around the world are exploiting 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old girls to turn tricks in their shops and to also generate revenue online. Your students simply can’t be sure whether they’re watching a “barely legal” “hot Asian” performing by choice, or a desperate, victimized, exploited young girl performing for her life.
It’s important that as we talk to our kids about pornography, we give them the facts. The porn star life is not always a glamorous one. By watching pornography, in some ways, they could be supporting the sex trade and violence against women. For more on talking to your kids about pornography, check out our Pornography Critical Issues page here.