InternetSafety.com

In another sign of the growing debate surrounding the harm inflicted by pornography, yesterday the mayor of Rexburg, Idaho, signed an anti-pornography proclamation.

The signing of the proclamation is the first measure of the initiative to include an anti-pornography conference to begin Saturday morning, and a committment wristband campaign. The white commitment wristbands will be handed out to high school students and will symbolize a commitment not to view pornography and serve as a way to raise awareness of the issue. One local student said that he knew that people at his high school were involved in pornography.

Numerous psychological studies have shown that early and consistent exposure to pornography can harm a young person’s psychological, emotional, and social development. Citizens of Rexburg are responding to recent statistics that show 34,000 Idaho children aged 10-17 have received aggressive sexual solicitations.

Idaho is a traditionally conservative state with strong moral values, but the reaction of the mayor and the citizenry shows that the debate of whether pornography is an acceptable part of a free and open society is beginning to gather steam. Sex addiction, though not currently officially recognized as a mental disorder, is being considered for inclusion in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to come out in 2012.

As psychological, clinical, and anecdotal evidence about the harm inflicted by pornography continues to mount, we can expect the terms of the debate to become more specific and pointed. Up to this point, the debate has been framed in terms of moral values versus personal freedom—those opposing pornography have done so primarily on moral and religious grounds, while those who either favor the industry and its products or see the issue as one of individual liberty have largely denied that pornography inflicts real harm.

However, as the issue undergoes more thorough scientific examination, we can expect the terms of the debate to be rooted more in evidence and less in personal feelings of morality versus freedom.

Filed under: Internet Safety News