This page is intended to provide a readable summary of evidence and articles around porn and harm. It’s a work in progress – feel free to suggest changes and additions.
Articles
Selection of expert comment and overviews of good research.
- The Sunny Side of Smut (Scientific American), provides a readable overview of a number of studies demonstrating beneficial effects of pornography.
- Porn stars and the naked truth (Independent). Report on a 2012 study demonstrating that pornstars are not “damaged”, as so often claimed. In fact they appear to be happier and more confident than average people.
- Porn Is Not The Problem – You Are (Psychology Today). Article by psychologist Dr David J Ley debunking myths about porn and harm.
Comment
- Don’t ban ‘rape porn’ – introduce more porn with negotiation and boundary-setting (Independent). 2013 article by Zoe Stavri opposing UK plans to criminalise some (more) pornography.
- The Sexualisation Panic (this blog). By Jerry Barnett: is society really being “sexualised”? If not, why does the media seem to think it is?
- Are Sex and Porn Addictive? (this blog) By Dr David J Ley. Answer: no.
- Is Anti-Sex Feminism a Step Backward for Women’s Rights? (Feminist and Women’s Studies Association). A look at the history of anti-sex feminism by Jerry Barnett.
Studies
- Porn Up, Rape Down. 2006 study by Anthony D’Amato Revealing that greatly increased porn use in the USA has correlated with a steep decline in sexual violence – rather than a rise as one would expect if claims of harm were true.
- Deep Inside: A Study of 10,000 Porn Stars and Their Careers. A fascinating analysis (by Jon Millward, a “big data journalist”), of data related to 10,000 porn stars. A must-read for anyone concerned that porn might damage its participants.