Traditionally, child pornography was created, distributed and observed in the form of magazines and photographs. In these magazines and photographs, children taking part in explicit sexual acts were processed and presented. Obviously, it was pretty difficult because child pornography at that time required processing and to that, many workers were required in production. With more number of persons involved, there were dangers of any of the worker reporting to authorities against production. It was easy to check and stop child pornography then. This is why in those days, child pornography was not easily available and it was certainly not common. Additionally, it was also difficult to distribute content of child pornography. During those days, only common governmental mail services were available to distribute child pornography and it was not easy to exploit governmental system for acquiring clandestine distribution networks. (Stewart, 1997)
The first change occurred during mid-1980s when home video technology became popular. Child pornography became easy to be produced and distributed. It didn’t require anybody’s help. Pedophiles made good use of inexpensive camcorders to create amateur child pornographic videos even at their own home with almost no worried about being caught red handed. Hence, evolvement of entertainment technology made it possible to easily exploit children for producing pornographic content.
Evolution of internet as the fastest growing social media further changed the scenario in favor of pedophiles allowed them to create, share and distribute pedophilic pornography throughout the world. It is difficult to keep a check and regulate social internet news groups, chat rooms and various commercial online services. Because of apparent inability to check and stop activities of sharing and distributing child pornography, pedophiles found it easy and secure way to project on internet (Stewart, 1997).
However, internet bought a definite positive change in the creation of child pornographic material. With internet animation techniques, it became possible to create child pornography without involving any child in it. Invention and commercialization of computer and internet provided ways for virtual child pornography. Virtual pornography provided a means to create pornographic content without exploiting or abusing any child. However, it certainly doesn’t mean that the dangers of child pornography decreased with the advent of virtual child pornography.
Virtual child pornography can be used by pedophiles to lure children and exploit them. Child pornography in any form is a potential danger for children and even virtual pornography can have harmful effects on innocent children and it can be used to instigate sexual violence and abuses against children.
A sexually abused child suffers extremely painful conditions. Traditional child pornography used to involve real children and their exploitation and hence it is much more harmful. Sexually abused children often face experiences of guilt and responsibility for their own abuse and betrayal and this cause deep depression and low esteem in them making them feel a sense of worthlessness and powerlessness. Posttraumatic behavioral flashbacks and nightmares are common problems for such children. Such children often become bitter and inconsistent by nature and because of deep depression while coping with after effects of sexual abuse, such children may turn towards drug addiction, prostitution and other criminal activities. Many such children may try to commit suicide too (Kornegay, 2006).
However, Sanderson suggested that effects of sexual child abuse are not same in every case and they vary from person to person (Sanderson, 2006). Some children may successfully cope up with the extreme aftereffects of child abuse which they experienced, forget them and lead a better future without any ghost from their past if given a chance. In some other cases, a child may fail to recuperate emotionally and may lose all psychological strength and self confidence. Because of their failure in coping up with the aftereffects, such children may find it difficult to succeed in other goals of life. They may suffer loss in education and health.
A sexually abused child often fails to share his or her real experience and suffering with anybody and may feel alienated and different from others. This further increases the complexities of consequences of sexual abuse.
While most of the researchers have tried to emphasize about the harmful effects and dangers of sexual child abuse, some researchers suggest that aftereffects of child abuse are not so much harmful as expressed.
American Psychological Association U.S supported a research study that claimed that sexual child abuse is often harmless for those children who offer consent for their sexual involvement. In 1998, a work by three well-respected erudite professors Mr. Robert Bauserman of University of Michigan, Mr. Philip Tromovitch of University of Pennsylvania and Mr. Bruce Rand from Temple University, was published in the well reputed Psychological Bulletin of American Psychological Association of U.S. According to this research work, it is not necessary that child sexual abuse will produce long term aftereffects in every case and even if some post-traumatic negative effects may occur, they are temporary in nature and does not last long (O’Meara, 1999).
With the evolution of traditional child pornographic methods to the recent hi-tech virtual child pornographic techniques has made it much easier for pedophiles to create, share and distribute child pornographic material on internet media. The harmful long term effects of child pornography can prove to be highly painful for innocent children and some children may also suffer high stress and depression and may become victims of drug abuse, prostitution, criminal activities and other serious social ills.
Yet, there are some research works and studies that suggest that there are hardly any long term effect of child sexual abuse and child pornography. Some of the researchers who claim that there are hardly any long term effects of child pornography also suggest that the term ‘Child Sexual Abuse’ or ‘Child Molestation’ should not be used in such cases in which the child offer ‘Consent’ to get involved in sexual activities. Such researchers suggest that for explaining consensual child sex activities, the better term would be “Adult-child sex” (O’Meara, 1999).
Thus, psychological researchers are divided about the issue of long term effects of child sexual abuse and child pornography and a group of researchers also try to mitigate the issue of child sexual abuse by asserting that if the child was involved in sexual activities with his or her proper consent, then it is certainly not a case of child sexual abuse, rather it is a case of “adult-child sex.”However, there are certain social groups which try to restrict the spread of explicit child sexual content on common media platform such as television. The Parent Television Council of the United States takes a proper look over the programs aired on various TV and cable channels in the United States. Recently, the Parent Television Council raised their voice against a feature of MTV SKINS in the March issue of ELLE in which teenage SKINS stars posed for ELLE in Lingerie. The Director of communications and public education of Parents Television Council, Melissa Henson said, "We've expressed concern about adult actresses and actors posing provocatively in lingerie. It's certainly much worse to have actual teenagers posing in lingerie," She further said, “Girls are already feeling so much pressure to become sexually active so early in life…. The message to young girls seeing these kinds of messages is that their only value comes from sexuality. It's such a damaging message to young fans of this show."
PTC also opposed Clearasil for promoting MTV to air PSAs during the SKINS show. Melissa Henson said, Melissa Henson said, "It's not really an anti-drug PSA. There are no messages about safe sex, the risks of unwanted pregnancies, accidental drug overdoses, there are no anti-drunken driving messages." Yet, despite of all these oppositions, TV programs like MTV SKINS are gaining popularity and this shows that the society in general is ready to accept that if a child offers consent to get involved in sexually explicit activities, then it may not be termed as child sex abuse, rather it may be termed as 'Adult-child sex.' However, even this change in general perspective about child pornography cannot mitigate the real contention which is, child pornography may instigate pedophiles to lure and abuse children and harm them.
References and bibliography
Kelly Patricia O'Meara, 1999, “Innocence Lost?” Insight on the News. Volume: 15. Issue: 22, June 14, 1999. Pg No.10
Jennifer Stewart, 1997, “If This Is the Global Community, We Must Be on the Bad Side of Town: International Policing of Child Pornography on the Internet”, Houston Journal of International Law. Volume: 20. Issue: 1, Pg. No. 205
James Nicholas Kornegay, 2006, “Protecting Our Children and the Constitution: An Analysis of the "Virtual" Child Pornography Provisions of the Protect Act of 2003”, William and Mary Law Review. Volume: 47. Issue: 6, Pg. No. 2129+
Christiane Sanderson, 2006, “Counselling Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse”, London, Pg. No. 40
