The battle against sex trafficking and pornography continues to demand our collective endeavors to foster a society founded on respect and decency. While we triumph in occasional victories, it is vital to delve into the underlying factors that drive individuals towards participating in the sordid realm of sexual services. Notably, recent research conducted in Sweden encompassing 6,048 Swedish men has brought to light a disconcerting connection between pornography and sex trafficking (Deogan et al., 2020).
This finding should be a clarion call to society, compelling us to cultivate a heightened awareness and responsibility regarding explicit material. Hopefully in warning and educating others about the devastating effects of pornography consumption we can be a saving force for each other.
Venturing into the realm of adult entertainment after the banning of sex trafficking in 1999, Swedish researchers unearthed a discovery in 2020. Individuals who habitually consume pornographic content, particularly on a daily basis, demonstrate three times the chance to engage in paid sexual encounters.
This startling finding suggests that the influence of pornography surpasses mere entertainment like watching a cartoon, but rather exerts a profound and more insidious impact on our perception of human sexuality. It is essential to comprehend that while not all consumers of pornography partake in sex trafficking, excessive and repetitive exposure to explicit material can engender negative behavioral transformations, often unbeknownst to the individual.
Strong emotions and chemical compounds that drive us to attraction and sexuality for many generations have been a strength to the propagation and the continuing influence of humanity; however, as seen in this research, these same pleasures in attraction can be a double-edged sword, forming an addiction that takes away our ability to freely act for ourselves. This is especially harmful to those who are lonely or dissatisfied with their sex life. The odds of ever having paid for sex were 1.7 times more likely for men who were dissatisfied with their sex life, 2.8 times more likely for men who reported having less sex than they would like to, and 5 times more likely for men who had ever looked for or met sex partners online (NCOSE, 2022).
In light of these findings, it is imperative that we take action and foster a society that values respect, decency, and healthy attitudes towards human sexuality. We must recognize the potential harmful effects of excessive and repetitive exposure to explicit materials and take responsibility for our own consumption. It is crucial to educate ourselves and others about the connections between pornography and sex trafficking, and to advocate for stronger regulations and support for victims. Let us join forces to combat the insidious forces that perpetuate sex trafficking and pornography, and work towards a future where every individual is treated with dignity and compassion. Together, we can make a difference and create a world where exploitation and objectification are replaced with empathy and empowerment.
Resources
Are men who buy sex different from men who do not?. NCOSE. (2022, April 15).
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/research-spotlight/are-men-who-buy-sex-
different-from-men-who-do-not/
Deogan, C., Jacobsson, E., Mannheimer, L., & Björkenstam, C. (2020). Are men who buy
sex different from men who do not?: Exploring sex life characteristics based on a
randomized population survey in Sweden. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 50(5), 2049–
2055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01843-3
Mandala rosette kaleidoscope - free image on Pixabay. (n.d.-c).
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mandala-rosette-kalidoscope-6985253/