The Quiet Culprit: How Pornography Fuels Sex Trafficking

​By Emma Dovgalev

Every vice comes with its own set of risks. If you drink too much red wine on a Friday night, you might find yourself with a headache on Saturday morning at your son’s little league game. If you go to the casino with some friends for a guy's weekend, you could be coming home the next day with a significant dent in your bank account. If you splurge on that pair of high end shoes, you may find yourself struggling to make your bill payments a couple of weeks later. Each vice has a cause and a corresponding effect, each with consequences that range in severity and in scope. 

Pornography is no different. The effect it has on young girls, your own mind and the sex trafficking industry is catastrophic and dangerous. In our increasingly digital age, we have more information at our fingertips than ever before. With a couple clicks, we are able to access millions of videos, photos and streaming services, all from the comfort of our home. Most vices start relatively innocently and become easily justified: “I’ve been wanting that Aritzia dress for months and finally bought it!”; “It’s been two years since I’ve travelled and we really need a getaway.”; “Everyone’s watching it so I decided to give it a go.”; “Everyone watches porn, what’s the big deal?” 

The big deal is that on the other end of the video you are consuming, there is no way to tell whether or not the girl in the video is performing acts consensually or against her will. The big deal is that, in many pornographic videos, someone else is profiting from the exploitation of the individual in front of the camera. 

In 2019, there were 42 billion visits to Pornhub alone and in 2020, Pornhub saw an increase of 11.6% in visits as a result of people staying home due to Covid-19. In a recent study, it was reported that 49% of sexually exploited women in 9 countries appeared in pornographic videos while they were being sold for sex. Could you have clicked on one of their videos without knowing? The answer is yes. The billions of clicks garnered by pornography fuels the demand for sex trafficking, while pornographic platforms continue to profit from the exploitation of young women who have been coerced and forced to perform sexual acts against their will. 

Now you might say, “Well, not all porn videos are like that; there are people who want to work in pornography”. You’re right. There are some pornographic videos that are truly consensual and non-exploitative; however, the problem is that there is no way for us to know which video is consensual and which is forced. One non-consensual video causes irreparable and continued harm to the survivor that had to endure the abuse. There are survivors that continue to relive the most horrific moments of their life through sites like Pornhub where their videos continue to be streamed to unknowing consumers. 

Our actions mirror what we consume on a regular basis, how we choose to spend our time and what we devote our attention to. Many pornographic videos model violent and harsh behaviour towards women, and prolonged exposure to these unrealistic depictions of intimacy and sex lead to desensitization. There is a clear link between consuming forceful, sexual content and wanting to fulfill those impulses in real life, which can often translate to seeking out sexual services. This, in turn, further fuels the demand for sex workers and sex trafficking can occur when that demand cannot be reached voluntarily. This cycle continues to silence those who need to be heard the most. 

So, the next time you’re typing in the name of your favourite pornographic website, ask yourself the following: 

• Am I willing to accept the reality that this video might not be consensual?
• What role can I play in stopping the demand for sex trafficking?
• Is this worth the risk that this video might pose to another human being?
  

​We can all work together to see an end to sex trafficking by mking a decision not to watch pornography. Pornography distorts sex, relationships and keeps real people in danger. We can put an end to the demand for pornography by turning it off and walking away.