Internet pornography use among teens has increased dramatically over the past ten years and we are only at the front end of understanding the impact that it is having on today’s youth. At Star Guides Wilderness, we provide treatment to youth from all parts of the country who have developed an addiction to pornography that has subsequently led to a variety of additional problems resulting in the need for intensive therapeutic intervention. These problems range from clinical depression and anxiety to self-loathing and hatred to sexual offending.
Recent research suggests that teens who regularly view pornography are more sexually active and even sexually violent. Internet safety expert Russ Warner has compiled a list of behaviors that are more commonly noted among teens who regularly view pornography.
- having intentions to engage in sexual intercourse
- having earlier initiation of sex
- having sexual activity more frequently
- having more sex partners
- having multiple lifetime sexual partners
- having had more than one sexual partner in the last three months
- having engaged in other explicit sex acts
- having engaged in sexual intercourse
- having a strong desire to conceive
- becoming pregnant
- testing positive for sexually-transmitted diseases
- having negative attitudes toward using condoms
- having not used contraception during the last intercourse
- having not used contraception in the past 6 months
- having used alcohol or other substances at last sexual encounter
- having higher sexual permissiveness scores
- having less progressive gender role attitudes
- being more likely to see women as sex objects
- being more accepting of sexual harassment
- engaging in more sexual harassment perpetration
- engaging in forced sex
- being a juvenile sex offender
At Star Guides Wilderness, we see first hand the devastating consequences that pornography addiction has on teens and our mission is to help teens and their families to recover from its effects and learn to live life free from pornography and sexual addiction.