Message from CWA of Missouri State Director Haven Howard: “Missouri, time is short, and we have to speak up right away. The legislative session is over this Friday, and we need to get HB 1839 over the finish line.”
The widespread distribution of pornography through the internet is a crisis. It’s a pandemic, and it’s coming after our kids. In the United States, children are, on average, exposed to pornography by the age of 11. The vast majority of children (94% of boys, some studies suggest) are victims of this exposure, and we have only begun to reveal the effects. We have a path forward, but need to act NOW!
We know beyond doubt that pornography is addictive, but what exactly are we addicting children to? For one, a study by the Psychological Association notes “the younger a man was when he first viewed pornography, the more likely he was to want power over women.” Pornography often normalizes and familiarizes young boys with images of sexual violence, including rape and child sex abuse. Additionally, pornography glamorizes the sex industry, often luring young women to sell their bodies as commodities, and is linked to increased rates of anxiety and a host of mental disorders.
This isn’t a sexual magazine hiding in a closet drawer; this is an industry profiting off violence, and it’s exploiting children younger and younger. Porn is societal poison, and I implore you to do something about it.
Current “solutions” aren’t working. Tech-savvy predators innovate around screens and blockers, straight to children’s eyes. This is especially simple when exposure is unintentional. The only path forward is to hold the distributor accountable and cut the exploitation at the source. That’s exactly what HB 1839 does. It holds pornography distributors accountable by requiring age verification online.
These necessary protections already passed the House, but this is the Senate’s last week in session. Contact your Senator and urge them to pass HB 1839! You can use the form below or visit our Action Center.
