Individuals will constantly bring up all of the negative impacts of pornography on those who watch it, like addiction and problems with romantic relationships. However, those being harmed are not necessarily the consumers; they are the ones in front of the camera, who could likely be involved in human trafficking.
Many assume that the adult film industry is a safe space full of acceptance and sexual freedom, and for the most part, it is. Unfortunately, a lot of major pornorgraphy companies and agencies do not enforce consent, and can even be funding scenes of individuals who are being forced to do things on camera they would not normally do.
Consent is a key part of every sexual encounter, regardless of how far someone is willing to go. Sadly, pornography is viewed differently, since it is someone’s job to “perform” to the camera for a certain amount of pay. Many pornstars are coerced to perform acts in their scenes that they are not comfortable with.
In the documentary “Hot Girls Wanted,” former adult film actress Lisa Ann states, “There were times on set with people where I was like, ‘This is not a good situation. This is not safe.’ A lot of…new girls have to do these abusive scenes…that does break you down as a woman.”
For many porn actors and actresses, contracts are involved in their shoots, and will be signed by both parties to ensure consent. However, this contract might not involve everything that the director wants to see.
Pornstars will be put in dangerous and physically demanding situations for a more “extreme” scene, which inevitably will do well, due to shock factor. Women will request the usage of condoms in their scenes, but be declined due to the aesthetics of the film. Not only is this potentially dangerous, but this can influence young people to think that protection is not necessary.
The Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Dawn Hawkins, said, “the 20+ performers I have talked to (some still involved in porn) have all shared stories with me that they were forced and coerced many times over.” Though the actresses will be paid well, many of them look back on these scenes with regret and embarrassment.
The statistics of human trafficking in regards to porn production is not very prominent since trafficking is illegal, and most of the time, pornography companies who attach their names to these videos, do not know what is going on behind the scenes.
However, from retired pornstars to survivors of assault, many claim to have been forced into porn or to do things they did not want to do.
According to John-Henry Westen of The Huffington Post, a 2003 study said that out of over 800 trafficking survivors, 50 percent were forced to do pornography. Most damaging about this is that viewers do not know what exactly they are watching.
Porn is a fantasy, not reality: actors use fake names, and are doing just that — acting. But individuals can hardly tell if the person on screen is consenting, 18 or older, or is even comfortable with the scene.
“Lots of companies already make pretty good porn,” says Nicki Hodgson, founder of the Ethical Porn Partnership. “What we lack is transparency about how it’s produced.”
The porn industry makes 13 billion dollars a year. Many men and women involved have good experiences, make a comfortable income and feel sexually liberated. Unfortunately, there is a dark side to this industry.
Since we do not know what is or what isn’t on-camera abuse, viewing this form of media on certain websites helps to fuel sex trafficking, and with such a high demand, illegal and unconsenting pornography will continue to flourish.
