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33 Child L. Prac. 113 (2014)
How Pornography Harms Children: The Advocate's Role

handle is hein.journals/chilawpt33 and id is 65 raw text is: IN PRACTICE How Pornography Harms Children: The Advocate's Role by Allison Baxter E asy access to online pornography and the potential harm of consistent exposure raise concerns about children's health and well-being. The Internet has made children's access to pornography a more significant issue. Children and youth who use email or surf the Internet are at risk for unwanted exposure to pornography.1 Although blocking and filtering software can prevent access, unwanted and intentional exposure is always possible.2 In 2005, a study of youth aged 10-17 found 42% reported want- ed and unwanted exposure to online pornography in the past year.' Contin- ued exposure to pornography can have negative effects on children and youth. Lawyers who represent children and youth should be aware of the pos- sibility of such exposure and prepared to advocate for them. How Pornography Harms Children Normalizes Sexual Harm Research shows that media has a tre- mendous capacity to teach.4 Exces- sive media use, particularly where the content is violent, gender-stereotyped, and/or sexually explicit, skews chil- dren's world view, increases high-risk behaviors, and alters their capacity for successful and sustained human relationships. Dr. Sharon Cooper, a forensic pe- diatrician and faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, maintains that imagery definitely affects children and that children receive unhealthy sexual im- ages from adult pornography.6 Ac- cording to Dr. Cooper, pornography normalizes sexual harm by portraying a lack of emotional relationship be- tween consensual partners, unprotected sexual contact, and, in some instances, violence and rape.7 Dr. Cooper argues that children and youth are more vulnerable to por- nographic images than adults because of mirror neurons in the brain, which convince people that they are actually experiencing what they see. Mirror neurons play an important role in how children learn. Children learn in large part by imitation, with mirror neurons involved in the process of observing what other people do and imitating those behaviors.9 Pornography may have stronger effects among children and youth than other forms of media because it shows a much higher degree of sexual explicitness.1 Promotes Aggression towards Women Pornography is arguably more sexist and hostile towards women than other sexual images in the media.11 The ag- gression and violence towards women found in much of today's popular por- nography can teach boys and young men that it is socially acceptable, and even desirable, to behave aggressively towards and demean women. Pornography also portrays people and sexual relationships that do not accurately reflect how real people look and act and behave in intimate rela- tionships. Unrealistic expectations of intimate partners may impede youths' ability to build and maintain healthy relationships. Shapes Negative Attitudes and Behaviors towards Women Studies on sexual content and vio- lence in the media indicate that youth accept, learn from, and may emulate behaviors portrayed in the media as normative, attractive, and without risk.12 This is particularly concerning (Cont'd on p. 118) What's Inside: 114 CASE LAW UPDATE 121 POLICY UPDATE How Grandparent and Relative Caregivers Can Access Support through the TANF Program 124 IN THE TRENCHES Protecting Unaccompanied Immigrant Children 127 RESEARCH IN BRIEF Internet: http://www.childlawpractice.org

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