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“Porn” is a Four-Letter Word: End

February 28th, 2007 by Progressive Wednesday

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to keep it real, let's just say that this Wednesday entry may include graphic descriptions of sexual acts and links to material that some might find objectionable. Much of the content below offends the heart and mind, and we've included it to do just that. Please proceed with appropriate caution. In other words, you might not want to read this at work (particularly if your boss is a “snooper– ) or at home with your wee ones in the room or at all if you don't want to face the ugly truths about pornography.

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End:

Child pornography is an insult to humanity. It must be stopped. And it's much more pervasive than you might think. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 20% of all Internet pornography involves children. This organization also indicates that the “global sales of illegal pornography that exploits children–including those under 4 years old–are about $3 billion a year.– If that doesn't churn your stomach, we're not sure what will.

Well, maybe this will: according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, “of the juvenille victims identified in conjuction with pornography crimes, 25% were members of the offender’s family, 59% were teens, 28% were elementary school age, and 13% were preschoolers.– Additionally, “by the end of 2003, the CyberTipline was receiving more than 1,500 reports on child pornography per week.– (Emphasis added.)

Or maybe this info from the NCMEC will do the trick: “according to investigators who handled the cases of estimated arrestees, “most had images of children who had not yet reached puberty. Specifically 83% had images of children between ages 6 and 12; 39% had images of 3 to 5 year old children; and 19% had images of toddlers or infants younger than age 3.–

Need more? Unfortunately, we've got it: “between 1996 and 2004 the total number of child porn cases handled by the FBI's cyber-crime investigators increased 23 fold.– [1]

One of the largest organizations trying to battle the sexual exploitation of children is ECPAT International. According to their website, this stand-up, and unfortunately necessary, organization does the following and more:

We follow what governments are doing, and have done, to combat commercial sexual exploitation of children, and we publish the results. We explore good models for prevention work, and share those models and experiences. We find and develop training modules to help caregivers to do their work better. We develop learning tools for police training curricula. We provide advice and information to groups who are trying to make a national plan for their country, or to implement an existing plan. We carry out research and develop research methodologies. We promote the participation of young people in seeking solutions to the problems and in providing support to victims.

As far as child pornography is concerned, ECPAT “seeks to develop positive cooperative relationships with the ISPs and the software and search engine production industries in order to find answers to the technological problems concerning the transmission of child pornography via computer and the Internet.– But, as they indicate, this battle is an uphill one due to technology changes, definitions of “child,– and legal practices.

What we've learned is that this is an international problem, not just an American one. But all children deserve respect, kindness, and caring, not sexual exploitation and abuse. If there's ever been an organization that needs and deserves your help, it's this one. No child should suffer at the hands of these predators.

You can help. And since you've got more than ventricles and atriums — I'm saying you've got heart, man – “ you will help. Here's how:

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[1] Paul, Pamela. Pornified: How Pornography is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. 1st ed. New York: Times Books, 2005. p. 190.

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