Child pornography is a broader term encompassing various aspects of cruelty to children. However, in its simplest form, it is a sexual stimulant that diverts a child from their intended course. The delineation of seductive actions that leads to arise sexually abused exhilaration” is one such definition of pornography. Small portions of these sexually abused videos available on various websites and easily accessible to both adults and children. It is conventional; the younger generation uses these sorts of content frequently these days.
We may find on the internet that appeal young people with alluring images and are easy accessible. The spread of such content so fast. Media, including writings, magazines, photographs, images, sculptures, drawings, cartoons, paintings, animation, sound recordings, films, videos, and video games etc are contributors. in this article, we will investigate the magnitude of the issue, its causes, and consequences.
Child Pornography in Pakistan
Child pornography is $20 billions industry engaging children in pornographic activities globally. The majority of children in Pakistan reported to be sexually abused by organised crime groups and mafia, who use force to execute violent crimes on youngsters through extortion. From recent past, number of cases recorded in Hussain khanwala village in Kasur district Punjab, Pakistan from 2006 to 2014. After the discovery of hundreds of video clips showing children performing forced sex acts, various Pakistani media organizations estimated that 280 to 300 children, most of them male, were victims of sexual abuse. The scandal involved an organized crime ring that sold child pornography to porn sites, and blackmailed and extorted relatives of the victims. The scandal caused nationwide outrage (Ali, 2020).
News organisations and government authorities referred it the biggest child abuse scandal in Pakistan’s history. In addition to widespread public denunciation, fifty Pakistani religious leaders and clerics issued a fatwa, or religious decree, calling for the execution of the guilty parties and requesting that the government comfort the parents and victims.
Child Pornography: Statistics
There is no centralized data that categorized reported cases of child pornography, however, data available to the issue of child abuse says that 4213 children were abuse in 2023 across Pakistan. considering the data collecting mechanism that relies on reported cases in any sort of media, is just a tip of the iceberg.
Causes of Child Pornography
The Internet has a major role in amplifying the issue of child pornography. With the introduction of the Internet, an enormous quantity of child pornography was instantaneously accessible to viewers in the comfort of their own homes. The issue of child pornography on the Internet is becoming more and more serious. Up to 20 percent of pornography on the Internet, according to some estimates, features images of adolescents, 90 percent of whom look to be younger than 12 years old. Young children who receive no sexual education are oblivious to the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touch. Because of this, pedophiles and other child predators prey on children and entice them to engage in sexual actions.
Consequences of child pornography
Taking into account odd people who engage in such practices can leave children or adolescents confused and afraid. Children and adolescents encounter and feel sexual stimulation, which confuses them. Seeing as it is true that they are unable to identify their dreams, their autonomic nervous system reacts abruptly to what they perceive in their nightmares. Children who are exposed to pornographic apps have become less sanitized, which increases their attraction to high-risk sexualized behavior (Paul & Linz, 2008). Adults restrict children’s access to these websites and prevent them from seeing them. Such that they limit printed materials, make browsers clear, and make use of all available scientific resources. Sex-related infections combined with severe pain and injuries can be a risk for children experienced child sexual abuse.
Moreover, a feeling of disgrace, hostility, incomprehension, and humiliation as attaching social stigma with them can lead to psychological complications. Victims may experience fear, hopelessness, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which includes nightmares and flashbacks, etc. Such exposure also leads to dangerous behaviors, including self-mutilation, prostitution, sexual abuse, and suicide attempts by the victim. It also increases the possibility of becoming enthralled with commercial sexual exploitation. Pictures or videos that stay online may have an impact on one’s career, relationships, and other aspects of life in the long run. They may not get back to normal life even if they try to. Child pornography has the potential to lead to direct child sexual abuse, or it can be a tool used by sexual offenders to lower their boundaries and get ready to hurt people. Such behavior is toxic not only to the victims but also to others.
Conclusion
The prevalence of pornographic applications in modern culture has a significant impact on children’s lives. It negatively affects a child’s cognitive development, which makes them more likely to engage in odd behavior. These days, it is thought of as a tool to promote violent habits. Sexual behavior that is harmful to them. Pornography propagates a myth about human sexuality and the nature of healthy sexual relationships among older teens and young adults. Because of this, it is more challenging for young men and women to establish sincere, committed partnerships. As pornography has been shown to be detrimental to children, it can cause division among parents, lower the quality of their marriage, and increase the chance of divorce and separation.
Recommendations
- Pediatricians ought to be prepared to talk with parents about the reasons and methods for preventing their children’s and their exposure to pornography.
- Since the Internet serves as the main source of exposure to pornography, home computers ought to be placed in public areas rather than in a child’s bedroom. They should also be outfitted with Internet filtering and monitoring software to minimize exposure (Eneman, 2019). Parental controls and filtering systems come in many forms, and some software vendors now provide smartphone filtering and monitoring.
- Smartphones are currently the main device used by teenagers to access the Internet. Additionally, some software services facilitate the formation of accountability partnerships, which can help people overcome their addiction to pornography.
- Pediatric professionals and Healthcare professionals need to be aware of the detrimental effects that the pervasive use of pornography is having on today’s parents and kids, as well as how they can assist in putting an end to this damaging influence on the family.
References
Ali, A. (2020). Kasur Child Sexual Abuse Case. Pakistan Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 2. https://doi.org/10.46568/pjass.v2i1.288
Eneman, M. (2019). Internet filtering: A solution to harmful and illegal content? 2019 IEEE SmartWorld, Ubiquitous Intelligence & Computing, Advanced & Trusted Computing, Scalable Computing & Communications, Cloud & Big Data Computing, Internet of People and Smart City Innovation (SmartWorld/SCALCOM/UIC/ATC/CBDCom/IOP/SCI),
Paul, B., & Linz, D. G. (2008). The effects of exposure to virtual child pornography on viewer cognitions and attitudes toward deviant sexual behavior. Communication Research, 35(1), 3-38.
