Does early exposure to pornography negatively affect children well into adulthood?

I was raised in a two family house,upstairs from my 9 & 12 yrs older male cousins,whose father owned a titty bar.I was exposed to stag films ,girlie mags and older women in grade school.I was a little faster with girls than most guys my own age.But,it didn't affect me negatively.I still respect all women and treat them well. I do not have children.But,I would be against ever exposing any child to pornography.I say that they should grow up at their own pace.They'll find out soon enough.

It is not the only thing.

Another reason not to have kids, and if you do keep them under lock and key

Well, it depends on what you mean by "exposed."

Like, lets just say little Johny snoops around daddy's computer which he accidentally left unlocked one day, and it only happens once... I don't think that would really hurt the kid. It may give his parents something to ridicule him about later in life, but it won't scar him for life....

I turned out fine.

I dunno, I'm perverted.. dunno if I blame porn or my hormones mehheheh!!

I really believe it does !

Dont allow or show your kids that...thats sick!!!

lets face it ... this is how most get their sex education !!!

In whose world?

in the normal world

Wow. You are so dysfunctional that you believe its normal. LOL.

Sad.

not dysfunctional at all just not having my head buried in the sand

Ah Duh YES !!!!!

While I don't advocate children seeing porn, if they have a good head on their shoulders and process the good, the bad and the ugly in life with good perspective then porn isn't likely to negatively affect them into adulthood.

Of course, the parent's should do everything in their power to make sure the kiddos don't see porn.

This question has very strong parallels to controversy regarding video games and how much and what kinds of effects they have on children and adults.

statistical facts disagree with you.

Busting Reality Bubbles: A 10 percent increase in Net access yields about a 7.3 percent decrease in reported cases of sexual assault. http://www.slate.com/articles...

Statistics do nothing to explore whether people exposed to porn have good heads on their shoulders and can therefore differentiate and choose what they're exposed to (the healthier stuff) and why.

There's no informed consensus that supports your statement, studies, statistics and all. Studies and supposed statistics are framed and processed with different mindsets and ability to parse information. http://debatepedia.idebate.or...

The controversy over porn is littered with with opposing studies and opinions, compounded by interpretations/opinions mistaken for fact and other errors like mistaking correlation for causation and various spurious correlation fallacies.

You go on ahead and believe that sweet cheeks.

I'll go with what I know.

Believe what, exactly?

And I'm not your sweet cheeks.

Although there are a lot of other variables

eeeeeuuuuu! I had a nice childhood: porn free, diddle free. I did not have the foggiest idea about se til I was 12 when F Uck spraypainted on a bridge. I was shocked when I found out my parents were doing the nasty! and all the neighbors too.

Of course that depends on your definition of porn, and the degree of porn to which you are referring. Back in 1980, I was pregnant with my son, and my then-eight-year-old nephew was visiting from out of state. He foiund my husband's stash of porn mags (Playboy, Hustler, etc.) and was hiding and looking at them. I caught him and brought him out into the livingroom, and had him look at them in front of me. (My rationale was that if he didn't have to hide to express his curiosity, he wouldn't view sex as dirty.) He looked at them, disliked the crotch shots, and liked the boobs. He soon bored of them and put them all away. He didn't really care about them after that.

Just yuck.

Oh, I completely agree. I never understood porn, myself. Seems kind of like instructions, which I have never needed!

I think that was a pretty good way to handle the situation... I would guess you also told his parents so they would be ready to answer any questions he had?

I did, of course.

Then I think you handled it perfectly... and Yes, I'm a mom myself and an aunt and I think you did a great job.

Thank you! I think if I cought my grandson sneaking around looking at porn I'd handle it the same way.

Actually I think it depends on the type of porn you are talking about. Violent freakish hardcore porn could certainly have a bad impact on kids but I don't think most soft porn affects them nearly as much as most adults irrational over-reaction to kids seeing it does.

Yes it does and it will. Watching such things have affected grown men, even some toward murder. Porn is a sick thing...even for adults. For children to see this crap is even worse.Only sick minds and money hungry evil individuals are involved with this stuff...including those that pay for it.

Especially in houses with both guns and porn.
Someone is going to lose an eye or worse.

Very true!

It depends. Hardcore pornography, fetishes, S&M;, etc,,,I would say absolutely. I wouldn't expose a child to violent or gory movies either.
Nudity like Playboy or Playgirl? I doubt it.

I meant to say no. I was exposed to it at a very early age and I'm fine. Me and my blow up doll have been in a stable relationship for decades.

I seemed to turn out ok but you never know with kids today.

i am saying Yes although I must admit I am not sure and really think it depends on the child and the degree of exposure. The women who were sexually captive and abused seem to have survived with their personality still stable but how can one be sure?

sure

Making a big deal out of it is more likely to cause problems.

It teaches them that the perverse is perfectly normal. Boys especially will grow up to be the most consummate jerks that any girl would have the misfortune to meet.