pornography14

Very simply put, the production of child pornography requires child abuse. Every child porn
picture is a crime-scene photo. This reality is particularly obvious when the photographed
child shows signs of pain or distress. But even when smiles are present, abuse is
occurring. The damage to a child’s psyche and soul may not be apparent in a photographic
instant. Nevertheless, the damage is real and long lasting. Child sexual abuse results in
severe emotional problems that may linger for life. Consider the story of Sandra:

I was born into an insane family where my grandfather physically and sexually abused me
from a young age until I was fifteen. Part of what he did was send me to strangers’ homes
for child prostitution where I was also used for child pornography. My grandfather would
take pictures of me, as well as show me haunting pictures of other kids who looked
drugged and dazed. Growing up and trying to fit into a normal life after so much abuse is
hard. I have nightmares, flashbacks and struggle with everyday tasks that most people take
for granted…There is a haunting that surrounds me constantly, reminding me that I don’t
have control over keeping my past a secret. The pictures that were taken when I was so
young are still out there. Who knows where they are and how many people have seen
them. I wonder if they will show up when I least expect it. I am away from abuse now, but
know that someone could be pleasuring himself while looking at my pictures or showing
them to kids. So, in a way, I am still being used after all I have tried to do to get away from
that horrible life.

Pictures can lie. A picture of a smiling child engaged in sexual activity might seem to
suggest that she enjoys what she’s doing. It implies that there is no harm in such activity
and that children, in general, enjoy and even benefit from sex with adults. These are lies.
The real truth lies beyond the camera and the photographic image. The making of child
porn damages children, forever.
Numerous longterm harms can afflict children who are abused for the making of child
pornography. These are described in the Final Report of the (U.S.) Attorney General’s
Commission on Pornography (Rutledge Hill Press, 1986). They include:
Feelings of shame and degradation
One witness reported that she had been sexually molested in her own home by a family
member. She stated, “I have experienced and continue to experience the humiliation,
degradation, and shame that these acts were meant to instill in me.”
Nightmares
The mother of an adolescent girl who had been abused and photographed reported, “To
this day, she has nightmares and is continually remembering additional details of his
assaults.”
Severe damage to sexuality
Many victims of child sexual abuse are unable to experience normal sexual pleasure in
adult life. Some compulsively seek out men who abuse them, and some become abusers
themselves.
Abuse of alcohol and other drugs
A young man who had been forced to engage in sex acts for the production of
pornography when a boy said, “I started taking drugs heavily at age twelve to try to cope
with the situation.”