To explore what has been called “the largest unregulated social experiment in human history,” Donna Rice Hughes, CEO and president of Enough Is Enough, has authored a research article entitled “The Internet P*rnography Pandemic.”
Published in the 2014 edition of The Christian Apologetics Journal, the article details the current state of Internet pornography, its real world consequences as it relates to children and adolescents, and the routes to resolution.
“The eye-opening escalating statistics concerning the saturation of extreme online pornography into cultures worldwide and the harmful impact on the emotional, mental and sexual health of young children, tweens and teens continue to worsen,” said Hughes. “This extensive paper lays out the most information to serve as a clearinghouse for anyone needing additional education on the subject.”
In “The Internet P*rnography Pandemic,” Hughes lays out the current reliable research from trusted institutions and medical and sociological professionals on the topic, including:
- A brief history and legal background of federal pornography laws including indecency, obscenity and child pornography, Supreme Court decisions, and First Amendment issues.
- The current state of Internet pornography and youth, citing specific statistics regarding both.
- The deceptive marketing techniques used by the Internet pornographers’ industry, such as free teaser images and videos; innocent word searches; cartoon characters; and free flash games to lure children into pornography sites.
- Addiction and compulsive habituation, porn-induced erectile dysfunction (PIED), and breakthrough brain science are explored along with the public health impact of pornography, on the attitude, values, behavior and relationships of youth.
- The real-world consequences of extreme pornography such as sexting, sex-trafficking and kids acting out aggressively against other youth.
- Routes to resolution, including the roles and responsibilities of parents and caring adults, the Internet industry, corporate America, law enforcement, government, and faith-based communities.
- The necessity to create a cultural shift, or “Tipping Point,” in attitudes regarding the unrelenting social costs of pornography and to elevate the harms of pornography from not only a moral issue but also to a rapidly growing public health pandemic with the goal of creating a movement, much like the stop smoking campaign.
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“Nations like the United Kingdom under the leadership of Prime Minister Cameron are implementing holistic and effective solutions through which government and industry are proactively doing their part to protect children from Internet pornography and child pornography,” said Hughes.“However, in America significant gaps continue to exist between the Internet’s dangers to children and the level of enforcement and industry-driven action dedicated to protecting children online.” Hughes continued, “As a result, the buck is passed to parents, who are usually uninformed, overwhelmed or ill-equipped to shoulder the entire burden to protect their children and families from the onslaught.”According to Hughes, Internet-initiated crimes, and dangers directed at young people have continued to grow exponentially, threatening the safety, security and quality of life for children and families globally.Ending with a clarion call to the church to wake up and get involved, Hughes distinguishes between her organization’s secular focus and her own perspective as a Christian.“Sadly, many of today’s cultural problems are the consequences of the failure of the church. America has abandoned its spiritual roots and the vision of our nation’s founding fathers. As a result, America is in a moral free fall,” said Hughes. “After having sacrificed almost two generations of children to the destructive influence of Internet pornography much of which is prosecutable under current U.S. law, it is long past time to say ‘enough is enough.’ A spectrum of prevention starts with one person, one family, one community and one nation at a time to bring about widespread cultural change.”To view the full article visit: http://bit.ly/1rA0erQ
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