Study: Watching Porn May Only Have Small Effect on Teen Sexual Behavior
Source: CBS News
Watching porn may only have small effect on teen sexual behavior
April 26, 2013
Watching porn may influence sexual behavior in young people, but not as much as some doctors and parents might have thought.
Researchers in the Netherlands determined that teens who use pornography are not significantly more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors.
However, they did find the amount of pornography young people watched was a significant contributor to differences in teen's sexual behaviors, but one of many factors that could influence their sex lives.
The study was published this week in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
"Pornography is not as big and bad a wolf as we thought it was, and maybe we should focus on other factors," study author Gert Martin Hald, a clinical psychologist at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, told HealthDay.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57581481/watching-porn-may-only-have-small-effect-on-teen-sexual-behavior
waddirum
(976 posts)2 inches to 4 inches?
Dr. Strange
(25,898 posts)That's hitting below the belt!
shawn703
(2,702 posts)In fact I would think that pornography would decrease the chance they engage in risky behavior since they'd be spending their time with their hand instead of a partner.
All kidding aside, I think the more important thing to study is how pornography affects a teen's self image.
Left Coast2020
(2,397 posts)Then again, Europe doesn't have the stupid hangups that religious and other people here have about sex. Think of how healthier we'd be if everyone did it w/o guilt. Kinda tragic if you ask me. Hell, even nude beaches here are looked at as evil. Geez, when will we ever grow up?
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)For example, the French government tells women what they can't wear, which is pretty disturbing.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)I think that's a lot of what that is about.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Without the hormones, you would not be all that interested in all that FLESH moving around like that.
olddots
(10,237 posts)n.t.
TalkingDog
(9,001 posts)Either way, thanks for the a-muse-ment.
Fearless
(18,421 posts)99.999999% of all men are normal. Really now? I hope you didn't spend too much money figuring that one out... unless of course you paid people to sit around and watch porn. I might be ok with that.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)Alva Goldbook
(149 posts)And just think, in my day, we talked about Marilyn Manson and Natural Born Killers having an affect on our kids. My, how things have changed. And kids still aren't effected by what they see.
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)I haven't watched it, I saw parts while flipping channels.
Teens Hooked on Porn
Documentary looking at how British teenagers are increasingly being tempted by the limitless porn available on the internet, with some becoming addicts.
Three of them tell their stories of differing use of porn and their battles to overcome its lure, providing a unique insight into a part of what it's like growing up today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074gch
Just like playing WoW or anything else "unproductive" it takes time away from your homework.
proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)After being banned from a DU group solely due to posting a Gail Dines lecture video, the impulse isn't to post her work on DU again, although from the looks of things (below) she has a massive amount of very legitimate support. Dines would appear to differ with the views expressed in the study cited in the OP. Further confirmation needed.
Letter of Support for Icelands Anti-Pornography Initiative
Posted by admin | Under Gail Dines' Blog
March 18, 2013
Ögmundur Jónasson
Innanríkisráðuneytið (Minister of Interior)
Sölvhólsgötu
Reykjavík, Iceland
Dear Mr. Jónasson,
We are writing to express our support for current efforts in Iceland to develop and implement legal limits on violent Internet pornography. As scholars, medical and public health professionals, social service providers, and community activists, we commend your governments determination to confront the harms of pornography. As part of a comprehensive approach to violence prevention, sex education, and public health, legally limiting Internet pornography will reduce the power of this multi-billion dollar global industry to distort and diminish the lives, opportunities, and relationships of Icelandic citizens.
Especially commendable is your governments commitment to protect children from the harms of pornography. We recognize in other contexts (e.g., advertising) that childrens unique developmental needs mandate protecting them from predatory corporate interests. As pornography invades childrens lives and psyches at ever earlier ages and with ever more distressing effects, this recognition must be applied to pornography. It is naïve and unrealistic to expect parents and schools to counter effectively the influence of this powerful and pervasive industry. Rather, society must act on its compelling interest in providing a safe and nourishing environment for children. We applaud your governments effort to exercise collective responsibility for childrens well-being by placing limits on a toxic media environment from which they cannot otherwise be sufficiently shielded.
We understand that your deliberations remain at an early stage and that many important aspects of the proposed legislation remain to be worked out. That said, we commend your governments stated intention to define pornography narrowly (as sexual material involving violence and degradation), thus ensuring Icelandic citizens access to the fullest possible range of online information consistent with the protection of children and of womens civil right to equality. As your efforts continue to develop, we would urge you not to be dissuaded by dark invocations of totalitarianism or of an unregulated black market in pornography. The pornography industry could hardly be any less regulated than it is currently, nor could the motivations and methods of the Icelandic initiative differ more starkly from those of authoritarian governments.
From adopting the so-called Nordic approach to prostitution in 2009 to banning strip clubs in 2010, and having stood virtually alone among nations in holding banks to account in the wake of the global financial crisis, Iceland is a global leader both in gender equality and in confronting corporate power. We are inspired by your boldness and innovation in protecting children, honoring womens rights to safety and equality, and maintaining the integrity of Icelandic culture against the onslaught of an unrestrained industry of sexual exploitation. As a group of similarly committed scholars, activists, and professionals across the globe, we stand with you and look forward to seeing the final result of your efforts.
Sincerely,
Dr. Esohe Aghatise, Executive Director, Associazione Iroko Onlus, Turin, Italy
Ruthanna Barnett, Human Rights Lawyer, Santa Cruz, California, USA/Oxford, England
Roseanne Barr, Actress, Producer (Roseanne), USA
Dr. Kathleen Barry, Author, Female Sexual Slavery and Prostitution of Sexuality, Professor Emerita, Penn State University, USA
Angela Beausang, Chair, Roks (The National Organization for Women´s Shelters and Young Womens Shelters), Sweden
Julie Bindel, Journalist and Feminist Activist, London, England
Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Actress, Iceland
Dr. Ana Bridges, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, USA
Anne Burns, Health Improvement Lead, Child & Maternal Health, Health Improvement Team NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Scotland, Scotland
Tanith Carey, Author, Where Has My Little Girl Gone? London, England
Vivien Caldwell, Solicitor, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscals Service, Glasgow, Scotland, former Local Councillor, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Elaine Carr, Clinical Psychologist, Coathill Hospital, Coatbridge, Scotland
Vednita Carter, Founder and Executive Director, Breaking Free (Anti-Trafficking Organization), St. Paul, Minn., USA
Alexandra Charles, President, Ordförande, 1.6miljonerklubben, Stockholm, Sweden
Chris Cherry, Director of Communications, South Carolina Democratic Womens Council, USA
Dr. Deirdre Condit, Associate Professor of Political Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Angie Conroy, Activist, Strategic Advisor, Strey Khmer, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Dr. Gail Dines, author of Pornland, Professor of Sociology and Chair of American Studies, Wheelock College Boston, Mass., USA
Anni Donaldson, Violence Against Women Team Lead, West Dunbartonshire Violence Against Women Partnership, Glasgow, Scotland
Kezia Dugdale, Member, Scottish Parliament, Shadow Minister for Youth Employment, Lothian Region (Labour & Co-op) Scotland
Sharon Dunn, Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation
Matthew B. Ezzell, Ph, Assistant Professor of Sociology, James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Va., USA
Dr. Melissa Farley, Executive Director, Prostitution Research & Education, USA
The Feminist Party of Germany
Camilla Silva Floistrup, Project Manager, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Copenhagen, Denmark
Robert L. Franklin, MS, Sexual Violence Prevention Professional, Virginia, USA
Fredrika-Bremer Association (Oldest Womens Movement Organisation in Sweden)
Dawn Fyffe, Say Women, Glasgow, Scotland
Marlyn Glen, Former Member, Scottish Parliament
Ruchira Gupta, President, Apne Aap Women Worldwide (sex trafficking), India
Sophie Gwyther, Team Leader, Children and Young Peoples Service, Fife Womens Aid, Scotland
Professor Simon Hackett and Dr. Nicole Westmarland, Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA), UK
Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir, President, Federation of Icelandic Artists
Elizabeth Handsley (Northwestern) Professor of Law, Flinders University; President, Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM)
Birgitta Hansson, Union President, Sweden Union, Soroptimistklubbar
Maree Hawken, coordinator, Queensland Womens Health Network, Australia
Dr. Susan Hawthorne, Publisher, Spinifex Press, Adjunct Professor, James Cook University
Ann Hayne, Gender-Based Violence Manager, Coathill Hospital, Coatbridge, Scotland
Marta Torres Herrero, Violence Program Coordinator, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain
Wiveca Holst, Swedish Expert, The Observatory European, Womens Lobby
Derrick Jensen, Author, Endgame, Crescent City, California, USA
Cherie Jimenez, Director, Kims Project (Anti-trafficking), Boston, Mass., USA
Dr. Jennifer A. Johnson, Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
Hetty Johnston, Founder and Executive Director, Bravehearts (child abuse prevention), Australia
Dr. Sue Jones, Centre for Gender and Violence Research, School for Policy Studies, Bristol University, UK
Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Spokesperson for Stigamot, Reykjavík, Iceland
Jackson Katz, Ph.D., Director, MVP Strategies, Long Beach, Calif., USA
Dr. Liz Kelly, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University London, England
Jenny Kemp, Coordinator, Zero Tolerance Campaign, Scotland
Connie J. Kirkland, National Certified Counselor, Certified Trauma Specialist, Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, Northern Virginia Community College, USA
Dr. Renate Klein, Associate Professor (retired), Womens Studies, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia; Publisher, Spinifex Press
Elizabeth Koepping, Associate Director, CSWC, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Iluta Lace, Manager, Association Resource Centre for Women, MARTA, Riga, Latvia
Dr. David Levy, Professor and Chair, Business School, University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA
Linda MacDonald, MEd, BN, RN, Nurse and Human Rights Defender for Women, Persons Against Non-State Torture, Nova Scotia, Canada
Finn Mackay, Founder, London Feminist Network; Centre for Gender and Violence Research, University of Bristol, UK
Jan Macleod, Senior Development Office, Womens Support Project, Glasgow, Scotland
Dr. Ramesh Manocha, Convenor and Chairman, The Right to Childhood, CEO Healthed and Generation Next, Australia
Malka Marcovich, Mediterranean Network Against Trafficking in Women; International Coalition Zero Impunity
Dr. Betty McLellan, Coalition for a Feminist Agenda, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Robin Morgan, Author, Activist, USA
Kate Morrissey, Counselling and Supervision Services, Manchester; UK Feminist Network
Sarah Morton, Co-Director, Knowledge Exchange, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR), University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Wendy Murphy, JD, Professor of Sexual Violence Law, New England Law, Boston, Mass., USA; Former Sex Crimes Prosecutor
Pauline Myers, National Chairman, Townswomens Guilds, Birmingham, England
The National Organization for Womens Shelter and Young Womens Shelters, Sweden
Rachel McPherson LLB (Hons) M.Res (Law), Institute for Society and Social Research, Glasgow, Caledonian University
Bel Mooney, Author, Columnist, UK
Hiroshi Nakasatomi, Associate Professor, University of Tokushima, Japan
The Hon. Alastair Nicholson, AO RFD QC, Former Chief Justice of the Family Court and Founding Patron, Childrens Rights International, Australia
Dr. Caroline Norma, RMIT University, Australia, School of Social, Urban and Global Studies
Dr. Lesley Orr, Feminist Historian, Theologian; Acting Chair, Zero Tolerance Trust (Fighting Male Violence Against Women), Scotland
Sue Palmer, Author of Toxic Childhood, Edinburgh, Scotland
Bridget Penhale, Reader in Mental Health, School of Nursing Sciences, University of East Anglia Norwich, UK
Dianne Post, International Human Rights Attorney, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Dr. Helen Pringle, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Rape Crisis Scotland
Rape Crisis Glasgow, Scotland, Emma Ritch, Chair; Isabelle Kerr, Manager
Eha Reitelmann, General Secretary, Estonian Womens Associations Roundtable
Dr. John Sanbonmatsu, Associate Professor, Philosophy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mass., USA
Amber Schalke, Feminist Party of Germany; Renate Schmidtsdorff-Aicher, Treasurer; Margot Müller, National Spokeswoman
Dr. Marsha Scott, Convener Engender, Scotland
Elaine Smith, Member, Scottish Parliament
Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, British Home Secretary (2007-09), UK
Gloria Steinem, Writer, Lecturer, Co-founder, Ms Magazine
Ane Stoe, Ottar (Feminst Organization), Norway
John Stoltenberg, MDiv, MFA, Author, Washington, DC, USA
Jacci Stoyle, Amnesty Paisley (Campaign Against Human Trafficking), Scotland
Swedish Medical Womens Association, Gothenburg, Sweden (Johanna Berg, National, Coordinator)
Swedish Womens Lobby, Gertrud Åström, President, Stockholm, Sweden
Melinda Tankard Reist, Editor, Big Porn Inc., Australia
Emily Thomson, Lecturer, Co-Director of Women in Scotlands Economy Research Centre, Glasgow, Caledonian University
Liane Timmermann, MillionWomenRise, Wales, UK
Linda Thompson, National Development Officer, Womens Support Project, Scotland
Teresa Ulloa Ziaurriz, Regional Director, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Girls in Latin America and the Caribbean; Winner, 2011 Gleitsman International Activist Award (Harvard)
Megan Walker, Executive Director, London Abused Womens Centre, London, Ontario. Canada
Vivien Walsh, Professor, Innovation Studies, University of Manchester, England, Author, Whose Choice?
Karin Werkman, Researcher, The Netherlands
Maria Weston, Nurse, National Health Service, Nottingham, England, UK
Dr. Rebecca Whisnant, Associate Professor, Philosophy, University of Dayton, Ohio, USA
Women Graduates Association, Dr. Catherine Dahlstrom, Associate Professor, Stockholm, Sweden
Womens Front of Norway, Agnete Strøm, International Coordinator
WOCAD: Womens Organisations Committee on Alcohol and Drug Issues, Stockholm, Sweden
John Woods, Consultant Psychotherapist, The Portman Clinic, London, England
WestCoastLib
(442 posts)Not even worth taking the time to debunk, though if you are curious to watch Penn & Teller's Bullshit episode on Porn they do a quick an easier dismantling of her position on the issue.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)So in the end, I guess I'm rather ambivalent. Time will tell whether Iceland's approach is over-reaching or not.
proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)"That said, we commend your governments stated intention to define pornography narrowly (as sexual material involving violence and degradation), thus ensuring Icelandic citizens access to the fullest possible range of online information consistent with the protection of children and of womens civil right to equality."
daleo
(21,317 posts)Most teens have seen Spider-Man movies, comics and cartoons. But they don't think real life is like that. They don't try crawling up walls or jumping off rooftops.
Most sexual depictions in pop culture of all sorts are pretty unrealistic. People figure that out pretty fast.