Abstract
The infiltration of pornographic materials in the society has increased the number of sexual offences due to their perverted influence. Many people consume pornography in order to get the sexual gratification that they crave for. The psychological impact of pornography can not be ignored if the fight against sexual violence is to be won (Beech, 2009).
Pornography glorifies indecent sexual acts to an extent where those who consume it see the acts as being normal. According to research findings, some of the sexual offences that occur in marriage are in most cases influenced by pornography (Howitt, 2009).
It is difficult to completely understand the profile of sex offenders but the available assumptions can at least help potential victims to put protective measures in place (Marshall, 2002). Pornography will continue to affect the society in a negative way if proper laws are not enacted to control its continued infiltration.
Pornography: The Architect of Sexual Offenders
The need for sexual gratification has led to an increase in pornographic materials in the society. Any kind of sexual subject matter that is portrayed explicitly amounts to pornography (Beech, 2009). Since pornography is specifically meant to bring sexual gratification, it is important to note that it may end up having negative psychological effects on the consumer.
The drive and push to practice what is seen or read from the pornographic media can make a person to end up committing sexual offences. Pornography can be portrayed in different forms of media that include videos, magazines, books, paintings, still photographs and even sound recordings (Eason, 2013).
The pornographic influence comes from the depiction of a sexual act using a particular media and not from live sexual exhibitions. This paper will highlight how pornography influences sex offenders. Pornography has emerged as an architect of sexual offenders in the modern society.
It is important to first of all understand the definition of a sexual offence before looking at the influence of pornography on sexual offences from a psychological point of view (Easton, 2013). The increase in the number of sexual crimes or offences is attributed to the ever growing pornographic industry. The concept of a sexual offence is very wide and can be interpreted in different ways.
Engaging in a sexual act with an unwilling person amounts to a sexual offence that is referred to as rape (Howitt, 2009). In most countries around the world, suggestive behavior is also categorized as a sexual offence. Suggestive behavior may include touching of genitals and other body parts that are perceived to be private (Howitt, 2009). In a sexual offence, a person may be forced, coerced or even threatened to engage in a sexual act without their consent.
It is important to note that this applies to both sexes. A sexual act may include forced kissing, forced anal and virginal penetration and all kinds of oral sex. All kinds of rape that include raping children, raping an elderly person or even marital rape fall under sexual offences (Prentky, 2009). The motivation behind sexual offences is the search for sexual gratification regardless of the crime a person commits in the process.
There is a common observation that human beings are in most cases influenced by what they see (Slade, 2001). There is a strong correlation between pornography and sexual offences especially in the modern society. Some of the sexual offenders may have preconceived fantasies of what they intent to commit but pornography acts as a catalyst towards committing the actual offence.
Sex offenders can not defend themselves in a court of law by claiming that their actions were influence by pornography (Langevin, 1988). This can not guarantee then any pardon because sexual offences are always assumed to be preconceived. It is also not morally right to willingly consume pornographic information.
Despite these arguments, the truth of the matter is that sexual offenses are influenced in a great way by pornography. A person may have some preconceived fantasies but exposure to pornographic materials may lead to some deviant arousal (Marshall, 2002).
Pornography portrays perverted sexual acts in an exciting manner that may make a person to actually believe that the acts are normal and acceptable (Marshall, 2002). An example of this may be a film showing adults having sex with children. A person watching such a film may end up having a distorted view that having sex with young children is exciting and may end up abusing the children in their vicinity.
The perverted sex acts that are portrayed in pornographic media make a person to have the drive to do unimaginable things (Slade, 2001). The normal and acceptable aspects of sexual intimacy are in most cases omitted in the majority of pornographic media. The effects of promiscuous sexual behavior are not in any way highlighted in pornography. Violent pornography encourages inappropriate sexual behavior.
Tender affection and communication are some of the aspects associated with healthy sexual intimacy that are in most cases distorted by violent pornography (Easton, 2013). Pornography distorts the perception of healthy sexual intimacy by makes a person’s mind to drift away from the reality.
Some partners in a legal sexual relationship such as marriage end up suffering silently because they are manipulated to engage in some perverted sexual acts by their partners without their approval (Easton, 2013).
The sexual offences that occur in a marriage relationship amounts to both physical and emotional abuse like any other category of sexual offence (Beech, 2009). The unhealthy views of sex propagated by pornography make some people to have the perception that some sex crimes are actually normal. Perverted sex in marriage has been on the increase due to pornography (Hanson, 2001).
The real definition of a healthy sexual intimacy is not in way portrayed in pornographic materials and this therefore encourages those who consume violent pornography to prefer the violent option (Hanson, 2001).
The fact that healthy intimacy messages are not portrayed in pornographic materials clearly demonstrates that the producers of pornography do not have good intentions. The tendency to try and imitate pornography makes a person to be at a high risk of committing a sexual offence (Hanson, 2001).
Sexual offences that occur in marriage are in most cases influenced by heavy consumption of pornography (Prentky, 2009). According to statistics, the number of sexual offences that are influenced by pornography is almost double the combined number of other causes. This is a very worrying statistic because the situation keeps getting worse each and every day.
Despite this finding, pornography is still the most sought after commodity. Accessibility to pornography has become common due to the availability of unrestricted media such as the internet (Howitt, 2009). Pornography generates billions of dollars every year across the world. The high rate at which people watch pornographic is not a good sign when it comes to the safety of women and children.
The distinction between pornography and reality is no longer there because of the perverted interpretations that pornography generates. Men and women see each other as objects of sexual satisfaction without feelings (Easton, 2013). This is a very dangerous attitude because it makes a sexual offender not to feel any guilt when they commit a sexual crime.
Sexual violence can only be tackled if adequate measures are put in place to fight pornography (Langevin, 1988). Modern pornography is worse because it portrays sexual violence and bondage that in most cases encourage sexual offences. The number of pornographic websites is high and this has made many people including children to access pornographic materials at an early age (Slade, 2001).
Cases of sexual violence are rampant because many people are able to access pornography. Consumption of pornography from an early age increases the likelihood of a person to commit a sexual offence. Pornography can lead to sexual addiction which increases the propensity of person to commit a sexual offence (Marshall, 2002). This is likely to occur in a case where there is no willing sexual partner to satisfy their sexual addiction. Pornography makes a person to have certain sexual expectation that their partners may not meet.
These expectations are dictated by the type of pornography that a particular person consumes. After watching some violent pornography, some men end up believing that women desire violent sexual encounters (Easton, 2013). Such a notion is very far from the reality and any person imitating that may end up committing a sexual offence.
The producers of pornography in most cases target men and this is the reason why the majority of people who commit sexual offences as a result of pornography are men. This is just an assumption because there is no clear segmentation when it comes to the pornography market (Hanson, 2001). Some pornographic materials portray male dominance and his tends to have a psychological effect on them.
The behaviors and attitudes promoted by pornography puts the women at risk because those who are under the influence of pornography will always try to imitate what they see (Langevin, 1988). There no proper regulations and laws to control the pornographic industry in many countries across the world. Pornographic materials have infiltrated the society and some people have actually addicted to pornography.
The sexual fantasies that arise from pornography condition the mind of a person to constantly think about sex. This may lead to activities like masturbation which may make a person to contemplate rape and other cases of sexual assault (Easton, 2013). Exposure to pornographic materials may lead to increased cases of sodomy because some of them promote anal sex (Langevin, 1988).
This is a very dangerous trend because the sexual offenses being committed also include people of the same sex. Women who watch pornographic materials that promote lesbianism can end up committing sexual offenses against fellow women.
The profile of a sex offender can be very useful when looking for sex offenders. This is sometimes not easy because their personality is somehow complicated. Despite this challenge, it is important to be aware of some of the characteristics of sex offenders for protective measures to be put in place by those who are near them (Howitt, 2009).
It is difficult to come up with a definite profile of a sex offender because many professionals have divergent views when it comes to identifying a potential sex offender. Sex offenders are associated with deviant interests and arousal preferences that are in most cases enhanced by pornography.
To begin with, potential sex offenders like participating in acts of physical aggression in the public domain. Potential sex offenders will always insist on having sexual contact with other people without their consent (Howitt, 2009). Potential sex offenders have a tendency to have sex with adolescents and young children.
Potential sex offenders secretly watch other people as they undress or have sex. Pornography is a major influence on the personality and behavior of a sex offender (Slade, 2001). Pornography can influence the arousal patterns of a person and in the process affect their personality and behavior.
The cognitive distortions propagated by pornography can influence a person to commit sex offences even if they were aware of the harmful and illegal nature of their actions (Marshall, 2002). The majority of sex offenders has pro-offending attitudes and will always justify their actions. A good number of sex offenders have inadequate social skills that can not enable them to initiate sexual relationships with others.
This kind of weakness makes them to stay in isolation and this provides them with a perfect opportunity to watch pornography and at the same time practice what they see by force (Beech, 2009). Pornography can make a person to lose their self-management skills that are necessary to control their emotions.
The ability of a person to control their sexual urges is normally diminished when they are always exposed to pornographic materials. A person who is not able to control his or her emotions is likely to commit a sex offence compared to a person with good self-management skills (Hanson, 2001).
The history of a person can sometimes influence their sexual behavior (Howitt, 2009). There are some sex offenders who engage in sex crimes because they were also abused. Although there is no concrete proof to come up with a clear conclusion, there is a possibility that a bad history can influence sex offences. Preferential sex offenders target victims of a particular gender or age (Slade, 2009).
This type of sex offenders keeps pornographic materials that portray their areas of interest and can at the same time record their sexual encounters with their victims. Preferential sex offenders are very discrete and can commit a number of sex offences before they are caught (Easton, 2013). Potential child molesters spend most of their time with children and will always act innocently to cover up their actions by appearing to be so concerned about children.
The sex offenders who abuse children may not necessary force themselves on them but some of them have refined skills to lure children (Pentky, 2009). Child pornography portrays the various seduction skills that sex offenders use to seduce children. Sex offenders are bale to perfect their seduction skills by watching child pornography and in turn put the skills into practice.
Child pornography has therefore influenced many cases of child molestation (Pentky, 2009). The most shocking thing is that there are some pornographic materials that glorify rape and offer tips on how to commit rape. Rape cases have been on the increase in recent days because the sex offenders do not in any way empathize with victims.
Some pornographic materials portray rape victims as if they enjoy the action (Slade, 2001). This makes sex offenders to actually believe that their victims enjoy being raped. This pattern of thinking is distorted and is therefore not good for the society. Sex offenders who are influenced by this kind of thinking take this as a perfect justification for their actions (Easton, 2013).
In conclusion, pornography has had a significant influence on the increasing number of sexual offences. Pornography distorts the conventional thinking patterns and attitudes and in the process influence how a person behaves (Marshall, 2002). The various categories of sexual offences are influenced in one way or another by the perverted messages that are portrayed in pornographic materials (Hanson, 2001).
It is therefore very important to understand the profile of sex offenders in order to put the necessary protective measures in place. Governments should come up with strict laws and regulation to stop the production and circulation of pornographic materials.
References
Beech, A. (2009). Assessment and treatment of sex offenders: A handbook. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Easton, S. (2013). The problem of pornography: Regulation and the right to free speech. New York, NY: Routledge.
Hanson, R. (2001). A structural approach to evaluating change among sexual offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 13(2), 105-122.
Howitt, D. (2009). Sex offenders and the internet. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Langevin, R. (1988). Pornography and sexual offences. Annals of Sex Research, 1(3), 335-362.
Mashall, W. (2002). Revisiting the use of pornography by sexual offenders: Implications for theory and practice. Journal of Sexual Aggression: An International, Interdisciplinary Forum for Research, Theory and Practice, 6(1), 29-58.
Prentky, R. (2009). Forensic management of sexual offenders. London: Springer.
Slade, J. (2001). Pornography and sexual representation: A reference guide. London: Greenwood Publishing Group.