Journal of Psychiatry

Viewing pornography through a children's rights lens

Annual World Congress on Psychiatry

November 29, 2021 | Webinar

Warren Binford

University of Colorado, Colorado

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

In a world where the Internet resembles a modern-day “Wild, Wild West,” we are witnessing an emerging public health crisis as generations of digital natives come of age during an era of unfettered access to unlimited amounts of sexually explicit content. Rather than helping younger generations grow into sexually mature and satisfied adults, many young people who report overexposure to pornography online during their formative years are seeking mental health treatment, forming support groups, and becoming research subjects in a variety of studies being undertaken to understand what effects, if any, overexposure to pornography may have on young people, including children. The results are startling and suggest that overexposure of children to pornography may be so harmful as to violate the child’s legal rights and should compel governments, parents, and industry to work together to more effectively limit children’s exposure to pornography. This presentation outlines the international legal framework that compels this multi-faceted response.

Biography :

Warren Binford is an internationally recognized children’s rights scholar and advocate. who is a frequent writer and speaker on a variety of children’s issues, including 21st century forms of child abuse, exploitation, and neglect. She has provided children’s rights expertise and support to a variety of international organizations as well as major media outlets, including the New York Times, the BBC,the New Yorker, CNN, and others.