People

The following is a release from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. 

Statement by Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE.

According to a new study out of Indiana University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, porn consumption is significantly linked to increases in sexual aggression. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation is calling attention to this research and to the societal harms of pornography.

“We cannot ignore the growing body of research revealing how pornography is significantly correlated to increases in sexual violence and aggression,” said Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “The latest research by Paul Wright and others is a meta-analysis assessing 22 different studies from 7 different countries around the world. This research found that internationally the consumption of pornography was associated significantly with both verbal and physical aggression, among males and females alike.

From seatbelts to drunk driving laws, our society works to reduce the harmful impact of risky behaviors. But when it comes to pornography many people refuse to look at the facts. Regularly or intentionally consuming any substance so strongly linked to increases in sexual aggression is not only harmful to the individual user, but also poses the serious risk of violence and abuse to those in intimate relationships with them.”

As the conclusion of the study, A Meta-Analysis of Pornography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies, states:

“…the accumulated data leave little doubt that, on the average, individuals who consume pornography more frequently are more likely to hold attitudes conducive to sexual aggression and engage in actual acts of sexual aggression than individuals who do not consume pornography or who consume pornography less frequently.”

About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)