Pornography Data and Resource Information

"The "least available" material is affectionate interchange between one man
and one woman."

SEXUAL ADDICTION:

The four-phase addiction cycle: preoccupation, ritualization, sexual compulsiveness, and despair can repeat itself unhindered and take over the addict's life attacking the person's values, priorities and loved ones. Sex addiction usually accompanies other addictions and 81% of addicts were abused sexually as children.

Indication is for every 3 male sex addicts there is 1 female sex addict.

How can one determine when sexual behaviour is addictive? Signs of compulsive sexuality are when the behaviour can be described as follows:

1. It is SECRET. Anything that cannot pass public scrutiny will create the shame of a double life.
2. It is ABUSIVE to self or others. Anything that is exploitative or harmful to others, or degrades oneself, will activate the addictive system.
3. It is used to avoid or is a source of painful FEELINGS. If sexuality is used to alter moods, or results in painful mood shifts, it is clearly part of the addictive process.
4. It is EMPTY of a caring, committed relationship. Fundamental to the whole concept of addiction and recovery is the healthy dimension of human relationships.

- Dr. Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.

THE EFFECTS AND DANGERS OF PORNOGRAPHY: Sex addicts have lost control over their ability to choose.

Those who treat pornography victims report that many who are exposed to pornography progress through four stages:

1. ADDICTION: This addiction of the mind can be as powerful as any drug, alcohol, or cigarette addiction of the body. Flashbacks are also experienced.
2. ESCALATION: Need for rougher and more sexually shocking material in order to get the same sexual stimulation as before.
3. DESENSITIZATION: With continued exposure, what at first was gross, shocking and disturbing becomes acceptable and commonplace.
4. ACTING OUT: There is an increased tendency to start "acting out" the sexual activities seen in the pornography.

What was first fantasy, in time, becomes reality. All sexual deviations - the best evidence suggests - are learned. This 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 individuals marriage or psychological equilibrium.
- Dr. Victor Cline, University of Utah

..."non-aggressive" pornography (pornography prominently available in mainstream market), that which excludes rape and violence but graphically depicts all other forms of sex (group, homosexual, switching, anal, oral, etc.) 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.

- Dr. Victor Cline, University of Utah

* Pornography was involved in the sexual abuse of 87% of female children and 77% of male children

* 86% of rapists admitted to regular use of pornography, 57% actually imitated porn. - Dr. Wm. Marshall, Queens University & Kingston Penitentiary Sex Offenders Program

* 1980-1989 study records preliminary indication of pornography in 62.2% of the extra familial child sexual abuse cases studied (23.1% child porn, 21.6% adult porn, 17.5% adult and child porn). Concluding pornography is used extensively in extra familial sexual victimization of children. - Sexually exploited Child (SEC) Unit, Los Angeles Police Department

* Do you feel disturbed and powerless as you witness the skyrocketing growth of pornography in mainstream society?

* YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

* White Ribbon Against Porn

WHO IS G.A.P.

G.A.P. is a grassroots, non-profit, volunteer organization, founded in 1988 to combat the proliferation of hard core obscene pornography in Canada.

G.A.P. believes pornography plays an accessory role in negative social issues such as sexual child abuse, violence against women, date rape, inequality, relationship and family breakdown, youth crime, promiscuity, sexually transmitted disease.

G.A.P. promotes the "white ribbon" which is a trademark of the White Ribbon Against Pornography Week campaign, held annually the last week of October. The "white ribbon" is worn to raise awareness and signify a concern about the proliferation of pornography in our society.

G.A.P. in spite of some success, continues to witness the phenomenal growth of pornography, the continued depravity of pornography's message, the almost complete impunity pornography enjoys and often the refusal or impotence of society to deal with the issue.
G.A.P.'S PURPOSE STATEMENT:

To combat the harmful influences of pornography through the education and motivation of our communities.
G.A.P.'S GOALS:

To raise public awareness of pornography's content, pervasiveness, and victimizations of people.

To motivate citizens to raise their voice for the health and safety of children, women, and men.

To work for changes in laws and procedures which would provide regulation and control of pornography.
G.A.P.'S DEFINITION OF PORNOGRAPHY:

PORNOGRAPHY AFFECTS CHILDREN AND YOUTH, PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SOCIOLOGICALLY THROUGH:

INVOLUNTARY EXPOSURE TO PORNOGRAPHY

–Pornography is any form of communication which portrays sexual behavior that degrades, dehumanizes, exploits or abuses.

In sex offenders backgrounds, it has been found that they themselves often were sexually abused in their childhood/ youth or came in contact with pornographic materials or inappropriate adult sexual behaviour which they often enact in their offending. Sexualized homes (which have no boundaries, inappropriate adult sexual behaviour, sexual materials, sexual innuendos, values formed by use of pornography) harm the normal development of the child.

CONSUMPTION OF PORNOGRAPHY

Canadian and American research has shown that youth (12-17 year old) is a high consumer of pornography. In this age of exploding technology, these impressionable, inexperienced youth have unlimited access to all variations of pornographic messages through multi-media e.g. magazines, videos, music lyrics, computer, satellite, dial-a-porn. The "least available" material is affectionate interchange between one man and one woman.

SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Child molesters and sex offenders have a common interest in pornography use. Pornography is used to validate the offenders habits, to inspire, and to teach the victim. Incest is a theme promoted in pornography. Child pornography is the actual recording of the sexual abuse of a child/youth. It is used to blackmail the victim. Simulated child pornography (adult models portrayed as children) desensitizes the consumer to child pornography. Pedophiles are producers, collectors and traders of child porn.
A 1992 survey of 14 year olds, 87% of boys and 61% of girls reported having viewed video pornography. Boys who were frequent consumers of pornography and/or reported learning a lot from pornography were more accepting of rape myths and violence against women, and were also more likely to say that it was "OK" to hold a girl down and force her to have intercourse.
- Dr. James Check, York University

PORNOGRAPHY AFFECTS MEN, WOMEN AND ALL OF SOCIETY:

Research, statistics, common sense and real life addicts and victims have shown that pornography has the potential to exploit and victimize:

* those who participate in the production of pornography
* those who consume pornography
* those who come in contact with the consumer of pornography
* all of society as it struggles to deal with the cost of health, crime, safety, law and order, family and relationship breakdowns.


EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY NEEDED

Addictions programs should be established, together with support groups for spouses/partners of addicts/users.

Residential treatment centres are needed for the treatment of sexual addiction.

Education programs are needed to raise awareness of the harmful effects of pornography.

Those required to view this material as part of their jobs in order to press charges or regulate, e.g. police personnel, film classification personnel should be offered counselling.

EFFECTIVE LEGISLATION AND REGULATION OF PORNOGRAPHY IS NEEDED

Strict legislation and enforcement is needed against violent, degrading, dehumanizing pornography and child pornography.

* There should be regulation of the display, sale, distribution and advertising of all explicit materials and products.
* Increased license and/or business fees if business handles adult sexual products.

Controlling pornography is a community crime prevention issue and a public health issue.
The Carnegie Mellon University research team discovered that:
# one of the largest (if not the largest) recreational applications of users of computer networks was the distribution and consumption of sexually explicit imagery.
# compared to other forms (print, video) of pornography, the market for computer pornography is driven by a strong demand for pedo/hebephile and paraphilic imagery. These types of pornography, which are frequently unavailable or difficult to purchase through traditional outlets are increasingly available and sought after via computer. (Pedo/hebephilic and paraphilic imagery accounts for 48.4% of all downloads from commercial "adult" BBS) (Pedo/hebephilic are now among the most frequently posted genre of pornography images on the Usenet.)(Pedo/hebephilic (child/youth)
- Georgetown Law Journal
WE NEED YOU, INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Community standards must be heard. That means every concerned citizen must speak up and express concerns, displeasure and solutions. Raise your voice!

* educate yourself and others
* boycott-stores, hotels, newspapers, magazines, advertised products which promote pornography and degrade sexuality. Support those with anti-porn policies.
* write letters to elected representatives at Municipal, Provincial, and Federal levels, Provincial and Federal Justice Ministers, letters-to-the-editor
* place official complaints with Police (Vice Division or RCMP). Support Police in their work.
* sponsor a "Pornography Hurts" billboard in your area (available through G.A.P.)
* support annual White Ribbon Against Pornography Week campaigns (end of October)
* wear the white ribbon to express concern about the proliferation of pornography.
* display white ribbon symbol to announce anti-porn policy of your business (available through G.A.P.)
* contact your provinces Film Classification System/Board for regulations governing display of videos and place complaints when regulations are not followed.
* make your voice heard about offensive advertising, T.V. programming, etc.
* form a community action group OR JOIN G.A.P.: $5.00 individual membership, $35.00 group membership

JUDITH A. REISMAN, Ph.D. researched for the U.S. Department of Justice, content analysis of Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler publications from December 1953 to December 1984. She found 6,004 scenes depicting children (half of the images were aged 3 - 11). Almost all depictions of child sexual abuse portrayed the child unharmed or benefiting by the activity. (She also found 15,000 images of crime and violence, 35,000 female breast, 9,000 female genitalia.)
SUGGESTED BOOKS:

* "SOFT PORN PLAYS HARDBALL" by Judith E. Reisman, PhD (Huntington House)
* "PORNOGRAPHY Women Violence and Civil Liberties" by Catherine Itzin (Oxford)
* "OUT OF THE SHADOWS Understanding Sexual Addiction" by Dr. P. Carnes (Hazelden)
* "DON'T CALL IT LOVE Recovery from Sexual Addiction" by Dr. P. Carnes
* "CONTRARY TO LOVE Helping the Sexual Addict" by Dr. P. Carnes
* "GENTLE PATH THROUGH THE TWELVE STEPS" by Dr. P. Carnes
* "SEX, LIES, AND FORGIVENESS Couples Speaking Out on Healing from Sex Addiction" by Jennifer P. Schneider, MD & Burt Schneider (Hazelden)
* "CRIMINAL NEGLECT" by Dr. Wm. Marshall and Sylvia Barrett (McClelland-Bantam Inc.)
* "KINSEY SEX AND FRAUD the Indoctrination of a People" by Judith E. Reisman
* "PORNOGRAPHY A HUMAN TRAGEDY" by Tom Minnery (Living Books)
* "FALSE INTIMACY Understanding the Struggle of Sexual Addiction" by Dr. Harry W. Schaumburg (NAVPRESS)

SILENCE OR APATHY
PROMOTES PORNOGRAPHY
"What are "you" going to do about pornography"

GROUP AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY
(204) 832-2822
Phone/Fax

P.O. Box 20143
3310 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R3K 2E5
Reproduction Permitted
Printed 1996
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