Pornography as a public health crisis.

WORKING DRAFT
2018
State of Wyoming
18LSO-0059
Numbered
1.3

House

JOINT RESOLUTION
NO.

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Pornography as a public health crisis.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Lone, Blackburn, Clem, Edwards, Gray, Jennings and Olsen

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION recognizing pornography is a public health crisis leading to a broad spectrum of individual and public health impacts and societal harms.

WHEREAS,
pornography perpetuate
s a sexually toxic environment; and

WHEREAS,

efforts to prevent pornography exposure and addiction, to educate individuals and families concerning
its harms
and to develop recovery programs must be addressed systemically in ways that hold
broader influences accountable; and

WHEREAS,
pornography is contributing to the hypersexualization of teens, and even

prepubescent
children, in our society; and

WHEREAS, du
e to advances in technology and the universal availability of the
i
nternet, young children are exposed to what
used to be referred to as hard
core but is now

considered mainstream pornography at an alarming rate;
and

WHEREAS, the average age of exposure to pornography is now
eleven (
11
)
to
twelve (
12
)
years of age;
and

WHEREAS, this early
exposure to pornography
is leading to low self-
esteem and body image

disorders, an increase in problematic
sexual activity at younger ages
and an increased desire among adolescents to engage in risky sexual behavior;
and

W
HEREAS, exposure to pornography often serves as chi
ldren
's
sex

education and shapes their sexual templates;
and

WHEREAS, because pornography treats women as objects and commodities for the

viewer's use, it teaches girls they are to be used and teaches boys to be users;
and

WHEREAS, pornography normalizes violence and abuse of women and children

and
often depicts rape

and abuse as if
it is
harmless
;
and

WHEREAS, pornography equates violence towards women and children with sex, which increases the demand for sex trafficking, prostitution, child sexual
abuse images
and child pornography;
and

WHEREAS, potential detrimental effects on
users
of
pornography can impact brain

development and functioning, contribute to emotional and medical illnesse
s, shape deviant sexual arousal
and lead to difficulty in forming or mai
ntaining intimate relationships
as well

as problematic or harmful sexual behaviors and addiction;
and

WHEREAS, recent research indicates that pornography is potentially biologically addictive, which means the user requires more novelty, often in the form of more shocking material, in order to be satisfied;
and

WHEREAS, this biological addiction leads to increasing themes of risky sexual

b
ehaviors, extreme degradation,
violence and child sexual abuse images and child

pornography;
and

WHEREAS, pornography use is linked to
a decreased
desire in young men to marry,

dissatisfaction in marriage
and infidelity;
and

WHEREAS, this link demonstrates that pornography
has a detrimental effect on the
family unit; and

WHEREAS, overcoming pornography's harms is beyond the capability of the afflicted
individual to address alone;
and

WHEREAS,
pornography is
thus
c
reating a public health crisis.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.

That
the
s
tate of Wyoming
recognizes that pornography is a public health
crisis
leading to a broad
spectrum of individual and public health impacts and societal harms
.

Section 2.

That the
s
tate of Wyoming recogn
ize
s
the
n
eed for
education, prevention, research
and policy change at the community and societal level to address the pornography epidemic that is harming the people of our state and nation.

(END)
1

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