By Ron DeHaas
We all know that statistics can be used to tell just about any story you want. One of the reasons we learn to be discerning about polls and surveys is that the answers people give depend on how the question is asked.
A brand new national survey* of 2518 people aged 13 and up asked a similar question in two different ways, and the differences in response show why we need to call pornography a “public health crisis of sex trafficking and pornography.” People do not understand that the majority of pornography results from sex trafficking.
People who admitted to using pornography at least once a month were asked if they considered it “always wrong” to view sexual images when the sexual acts are forced or painful. Only about 50% said that would always be wrong!
Ask the question a little differently: Do you consider it “always wrong” to view sexual images when the sexual acts are not consensual? More than 75% believe that is always wrong.
They’re really the same question – how many pornographic pictures that show sexual acts that are forced or painful do you think are consensual? You might say, well, the girls are getting paid, and they agree to it. If you believe that, you need to hear the evidence flowing from women who have escaped the industry. The truth is, pornography is sex trafficking, and if we understand that this is a public health crisis, a cause with real meaning, our culture could be turned back to the days when Lucy and Ricky slept in separate beds on TV and in their pajamas.
You will learn more about this issue if you come to the Set Free Summit, April 4-7, in Greensboro NC. You should also follow our good friends at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
Incidentally, a cohort of long-time accountable families who have used Covenant Eyes for more than 5 years also took the survey, and more than 90% of them (all ages) agreed that both force/painful and non-consensual sexual images are always wrong. They understand the connection.
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Bring a copy of this article to the Covenant Eyes booth at Set Free Summit, and get a free year’s subscription to Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability.
*All data in this article are from The Porn Phenomenon study by the Barna Group, 2016. Attendees of the Summit will receive a copy, or you can preorder it here.
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Ron DeHaas is the founder and CEO of Covenant Eyes, which offers Internet Accountability and Filtering software. He will be speaking at the Set Free Summit about the power of personal accountability.
Register for the Summit today.
