by Dr. Victor Cline, Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology
These are two lines of research and evidence, which clearly suggest personal and psychological harms when individuals immerse themselves in pornography.
First, a great deal of research has been conducted in the last seven years studying the effects of exposure to "aggressive" pornography, that is, the mixing of sex and violence. This type of pornography is seen most often in the R-rated "slasher" films, showing primarily females being attacked, raped, knifed and sexually brutalized by male assailants. It has been found that men in particular, who consume this material (in movie houses, on cable TV, or on video cassettes) are: (1) aroused sexually and aggressively, (2) tend to increase their aggressive attitudes and behaviour, (3) have an increased production of aggressive rape fantasies, (4) are more accepting of such rape myths as "women ask for it," (5) have a lessened sensitivity about rape and an increased callousness toward women, (6) admit an increased possibility of themselves raping someone, especially if they think they can get away with it. In a study by Seymour Feshback at UCLA, male students were exposed to aggressive pornography. After the exposure, 51% indicated the likelihood of raping a woman if assured they would not get caught.
The other line of evidence deals with "non-aggressive" pornography, that which excludes rape and violence, but graphically depicts all other forms of sex (groups, homosexuals, switching, anal, oral, etc.). Massive exposure to this kind of pornography was found to: (1) desensitize the viewers to the material's breaking of sexual taboos, causing the viewers to become more accepting of it and much less concerned about its negative effects; (2) cause the viewers to regard rape as a more trivial offense, with men particularly showing major increases of sexual callousness toward women; (3) increase the viewers' loss of compassion for women as rape victims. In a sense, then, this kind of pornography as male entertainment promotes the victimization of women.
As a clinical psychologist who has treated many sexual offenders, who have had intensive pornography exposure as part of their history, I have repeatedly
found a near universal four-step pattern in the development of their pathology.
First there is an addictive effect. The man gets hooked on pornography and keeps coming back for more to get his sexual "turn ons." Second, there is an escalation in need for rougher and more sexually shocking material in order to get the same sexual stimulation as before. Third, there is in time a desensitization to the material's effect. What was first gross, shocking, and disturbing becomes, in time, acceptable and commonplace. And fourth, there is an increased tendency to start "acting out" the sexual activities seen in the pornography witnessed. What was first fantasy, in time, becomes reality. All sexual deviations - the best evidence suggests - are learned. And it often happens through a pattern of "masturbatory conditioning." What is viewed is first masturbated to at the fantasy level then later acted out in real life behaviour. This in my clinical experience nearly always disturbs the individual's marriage or psychological equilibrium.
A CONCLUDING NOTE - From Dr. Victor Cline
"At the present time, even though pornography statutes exist in nearly every community in the nation, as well as at the federal level, prosecution has been feeble or, in some cases, non-existent because of confusion over the harm issue, as well as concern by some that limiting or prohibiting pornography would lead to censorship of other materials. "In my view - and I work with people daily who have major pathology because of their involvement with pornography -some limits need to be set. Laws need to be enforced or taken off the books."
"In a sense, our "drinking water" is contaminated and we are getting a lot of casualties. And very few people are doing or saying anything about it. Our people and our country are too precious to look the other way and pretend not to know."
|
