Prepared by Cordelia Anderson, Founder and Immediate Past President, National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation
· Normalization is defined as the process by which an idea, concept or behavior becomesan accepted part of societal culture.
· Once this occurs, it is considered “just the way it is” and becomes viewed as beneficial or preferential.
· Sex used to sell things is nothing new, but the overwhelming magnitude of sex, or more accurately the “exploitive use of sex” to sell to younger and younger children is newer.
There is growing concern about the variety of ways children are being treated as sexual objects and commodities.
Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation
· Children are generally sexually abused or exploited by people they know and trust. The ACE studies found contact child sexual abuse (CSA) was reported by 16% of males and 25% of females and clearly showed CSA resulted in multiple social and health problems for both males and females(1) The frequency and impact makes this a major public health concern.
·When thinking about the range of ways children are sexually abused through exploitation there are different types of child sexual exploitation to consider: child sexual abuse, child sexual abuse images (child pornography), children sexually exploited through being prostituted/trafficked, technology-facilitated sex crimes against children, and sex tourism.(2)
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children receives over 2,000 reports a week on the Cybertipline, the Congressionally-mandated ISP reporting site for on-line sexual solicitation of children. 90% of these are reports of child pornography. The sad reality is the victims are getting younger and younger and the majority never report being sexually abused, much less pornographically photographed.
·We can’t prosecute, treat or educate our way out of this problem. To prevent children from being sexually exploited, efforts need to address both the supply and demand issues.
oWhat is creating this market?
oWhy is it that, for example, one child pornography site discovered by police had over 70,000 (primarily) males users willing to pay $29.95 a month to see images of children being sexually abused? (3)
oSocial change is needed to counter the normalization of this sexual harm and exploitation.
To be effective it will take the issue experts, non-profits, policy makers, media and industry leaders working together for the protection and healthy development of children and youth.
Sample Studies Point to the Truth in the Old Adage: Children Learn from What they See & Hear
·The APA, 2007 Report on the Sexualization of Children reviewed over 300 studies and concluded that a wide range of mass media’s sexualize girls – they become viewed as sexual objects for others to use - and has a negative impact on their mental health. They note the importance of the impact of watching older role models whether in the media or key adults in the child’s life.(4)
·“One of the strongest predictors of risk for early sexual intercourse, for both black and white teens (in the study), was the perception that his or her peers were having sex” Journal of Pediatrics, AAP, 4 ’06 (5)
·Early maturing girls report more interest in seeing & listening to sexual content. Given the lack of sexual health messages, the mass media becomes a sexual super peer. Youth behavior is influenced by the sexual behavior they think their peers are having. (Brown, J. et al, Journal of Adolescent Health, May 2005) (6)
·Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in the media, and who perceive greater support from the media for teen sexual behavior, report greater intentions to engage in sexual intercourse and more sexual activity. (Brown, J. et al, Journal of Adolescent Health, March, 2006)
·Emory Study: Indicates a link between over exposure to rap music videos and increase in violence and risky sexual behavior among teen African American girls (Wingood, et al) (7)
·On average boys see their first pornography around age 11. 12-17 year olds are the largest Internet porn consumers; teens who viewed porn often did so while doing homework (Internet-filter-review.toptenreviews). (8) For many, pornography is their first sexual experience and their main sexual education.
Seven in ten, 15- to 17-year-olds admitted to finding pornography online. 71 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds agreed with the statement,''I have seen more pornography online than I have seen offline.'' (2001 Kaiser Family Foundation Study) (9)
4 Major Reasons for Concern
·Earlier onset of puberty (9-10 girls, 11 boys) (10)
·Later brain development (not fully developed until early 20’s) (11)
·The overwhelming volume of sexually toxic messages that normalize sexual harm & exploitation with little access to alternative healthy sexual images or information.
·Lack of community/societal barriers to a steady stream of sexually exploitative messages.
Adult’s confusion about what is healthy and appropriate for childrens development versus what is harmful and exploitative.
·Compliant Victimization: Children are not only groomed by individual predators to engage in behaviors that may be self exploitative or harmful, but are also groomed by social norms, messages and expectations to treat themselves as sexual objects whose main value is sexual appeal.
Development of Perpetrator Behaviors: Children learn kindness and respect, they also learn to objectify, and exploit. Boys in particular learn that “masculinity” somehow means they are entitled or expected to be sexually aggressive and to view girls as sexual objects. Both boys and girls get the message a girl’s worth is primarily in her sexual appeal or servitude.
What’s Changed – What’s Feeding the Problem?
Impact of Technology: The opportunity and access via technology to see or to engage in exploitative behaviors has exploded. While some of the access and opportunity is for educationally and socially enhancing information, there is also a flood of resources, images and messages that are not “age, stage or developmentally” appropriate or healthy, particularly without adults to provide a context or counter message. (12)
Pornified Mainstream Culture: No single industry alone is the sole source of the problem. Indeed the challenge comes from the totality of images that reach younger and younger children with few images or messages to counter the glamorization of exploitative, objectified use of sex.
Pornography: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Cybertipline receives an over 2,000 reports a week; 90% of which are reports of child pornography. The victims are getting younger (77% prepubescent) and the content is getting more violent. The majority of perpetrators, as seen with other types of child molesters, are someone the victim knows and trusts.(13)
The adult pornography industry is legal. Traditionally concern about pornography has come from either the stance of “it’s all degrading to women and sexual violence” or “it’s all immoral.” As the industry has become mainstream and grown to be a $97 Billion worldwide industry, there is concern about how it feeds a “sexually toxic society” and child sexual abuse/exploitation through references to children and teens as “objects” of sexual interest. Many studies also point to links between pornography and sexual violence. Pamela Paul’s bookPornifiedhighlights an array of studies and examples to show how the changing content, (increasingly violent), availability and access to pornography are changing male/female relationships and views of what is normal or acceptable in terms of sexual behaviors.(14)
Marketing to Children: The Campaign for Commercial Free Children points out the huge increase in advertising to children and sites the reality that children under 8 can not differentiate the pitch form reality. Marketing efforts use sex and violence as a way to grab and keep attention even if that means sexually objectifying children. The messages teaching children (and adults) to value material things above anything else and to buy and consume in order to meet all their needs are other instances of the insidious impact on values and relationships. (15)
Examples from A – Z List:
·Ads: Catch viewers attention with “hypersexualized” images of younger children & youth
·All Star Wrestling: extreme images of masculinity, sexually objectified images of females and glamorization of violence including between males & females
·Books: A-List, Gossip Girls (emphasize money, sex and references to adults lusting after teens)
·Clothing: Pimpfants for infants, Pimp/Ho Halloween Costumes, G-Strings and padded bras & g-strings marketed to little girls. A Newsweek article referred to it as creating a generation of “prosti-tots”
·Electronic Games: Games allow for practice and interaction. Grand Theft Auto gets the most attention but the point should be on the violent or exploitative use of sex (beat and rape the prostitute) not on the “sex” in such games
·Teen Icons: Females pop stars dressed as porn stars or prostituted women and males as sexual aggressors.
Music: Degrading sexual lyrics with references to females as ho’s and bitches, and glamorizing the “pimp ho” lifestyle.
Prevention: Awareness to Action
·See it, Name it, Speak Up, Speak Out, Courage to Act
·Use these talking points and the Countering Normalization resources to begin dialogues to discuss the trends, impact and possible actions
·Think beyond individual awareness or actions to broader-based social change
·Identify policies and organizational practices to encourage age, stage and developmentally constructive - rather than destructive – images and messages for children & youth
·Engage non-profits, industry leaders, policy makers, media and community leaders in the solution
·Engage males as leaders in prevention
·Encourage bystanders (of all ages) to stand up, not by, and to take effective actions
·Act within your spheres of influence (workplace, families, neighborhoods, faith, etc)
·Engage others in respectful dialogues about the role of normalization in perpetuating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
Identify community and political leaders who are able and willing to champion prevention of child sexual abuse & exploitation
Rapidly changing technology has dramatically changed the reach of pornography. Unfortunately, today, pornography is often the prime source of sex education for our children and youth in America. Unfortunate because the content of this pornography is degrading and body punishing AND it is being marketed as normal.
This booklet offers a deeply researched and shocking overview of the impact of pornography on children and youth. The author also describes the clear shifts in our culture that demonstrates how yesterday’s pornography is part of today’s mainstream advertising for children. This booklet also provides clear information and resources about what can be done to counter the harm to our children and teens and offers practical tips about how to focus on and promote sexual and relational health.
To order go to NEARI Press online at www.nearipress.org or call us at 1.888.632.7412 or 978.829.2594. Bulk Discounts are available.
Other Resources and Materials
Talking Points from:Counter the Trends of Normalization of Sexual Harm- A Key Component of Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation Webinar, Cordelia Anderson & Sharon Cooper, NCMEC, May 2006
1) Long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse by gender of victim. Dube SR, Anda RF, Whitfield CL, Brown DW, Felitti VJ, Dong M, Giles WH. , National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA. 2005 Jun;28(5):430-8
2) Cooper, Dr. Sharon, Dr. Angelo Giardino, Dr. Victor Vieth, and Dr. Nancy Kellog, Medical, Legal and Social Science Aspects of Child Sexual Exploitation: A Comprehensive Review of Pornography, Prostitution and Internet Crimes. St. Louis: GW Medical Publishing, 2005
3) Ernie Allen, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, statement at December Prevention Coalition Meeting, Alexandria, Virginia, 2005.
4) Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: 2007.
5) Brown JD, L’Engle KL, Pardun CJ, Guo G, Kenneavy K, Jackson C. Sexy media matter: exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines predicts black and white adolescents' sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 2006 April; 117(4): 1427-31.
6) Brown JD, Halpern CT, L’Engle KL. “Mass Media as a Sexual Super Peer for early maturing girls.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 2005 May; 36(5): 420-427.
7) Brown JD, L’Engle KL, Kenneavy K. “The mass media are an important context for adolescents’ sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2006 March; 38(3): 186-192.
8) Wingood, Gina M., DiClemente, Ralph J, Bernhardt, Jay M., Harrington, Kathy, Davies, Susan L., Robillard, Alyssa, Hook, Edward W III. A Prospective Study of Exposure to Rap Music Videos and African American Female Adolescents’ Health. Am J Public Health, March 2003; 93: 437-439.
Rideout, Victoria. “Generation Rx.com: How Young People Use the Internet for Health Information.” Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, December 2001.
10) US Health and Human Services (DHHS). National Center for Health Statistics. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Hyattsville, MD: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001
11) Gogtay, N., Giedd, J., Lusk, L., Hayashi, K., Greenstein, D., Vaituzis, A. C., Nugent, T., Herman, D., Clasen, L., Toga, A., Rapaport, J., Thompson, P. Dynamic mapping of human cortical development during childhood through early adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. May 25, 2004. Vol 101, No 21, 8174-8179.
12) Walsh, Dr. David,Why Do They Act That Way?. New York: Free Press, 2004.
Strasburger, Dr. Victor C, “Risky Business: What Primary Care Practitioners Need to Know about the Influence of the Media on Adolescents.” (article in press).
13) National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Exploited Child Unit, Presentation, Spring, 2006. Michelle Collins, Director of the Exploited Child Unit of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
14) Paul, Pamela, Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. New York: Times Books, 2005.
15) Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood literature: www.commercialfreechildhood.org, Judge Baker Children’s Center, 54 Parker Hill Avenue, Boston, MA 12120, 617/232-734
Contact: Cordelia Anderson
Sensibilities Prevention Services
4405 Garfield Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55419