Viewing internet child porn not victim-less

As traumatizing as the sexual abuse of a child is, experts say, child pornography takes that trauma to another level -- particularly pornography that has been circulated on the internet.

"The image of what was done to the child is out there forever," stated Marsha Gilmer-Tullis, family advocacy division director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Someday, she said, the victim "is going to be 10, 15, 20 -- and the pictures are still out there. You can never put it behind you." 

Lured by adults

Child victims who appear in pornography were most likely drawn in by adults they trusted. Dr. Richard Hamill, an Albany forensic psychologist, has treated both minors who have been sexually abused in that manner and adult users of child pornography.

He said that the strategies of those who create child pornography are similar to those of other molesters; the abuser gains the child's trust and proceeds from non-sexual to sexual touching, then to "more intrusive offenses."

By the time the child is filmed, taped or photographed, the abuser has already been sexually molesting them.

Victimization

Child victims are usually pre-pubescent; according to NCMEC, the overwhelming majority of those arrested for possession of child pornography had images of children between the ages of six and 12.

Victims suffer physical injuries and may be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases, but NCMEC notes that "child victims can also experience depression, withdrawal, anger and other psychological disorders.

"Such effects may continue into adulthood. For instance, women abused as children have statistically significant higher rates of nightmares, back pain, headaches, pelvic pain, eating binges."

'Pervasive fear'

Young victims who appear in multiple pictures or videos are even more likely to be re-traumatized, since viewers of child porn tend to trade such "series" regularly, Ms. Gilmer-Tullis noted.

"The children I've worked with who have been photographed have a pervasive fear that people have seen the pictures of them naked," Dr. Hamill told The Evangelist.

If a victim meets an adult who seems to look at them oddly, "they go right to, 'Oh, my God, he's seen the pictures of me.'"

An after-effect for victims, he said, is not knowing who to trust, and not being able to trust adults who are actually trustworthy. Victims also isolate, believing other children and adults will reject them if the truth comes out -- which is often the case.

Boys and girls

For boys, anger and betrayal at being victimized tends to be turned outward, coming out in aggressive behavior, said Dr. Hamill.

Girls, on the other hand, generally "tend to vent the anger at themselves, in the form of depression."

Abuse in pornography also affects sexuality when the children grow older, causing anxiety and revulsion about sexual activity.

Recovery

Relief and recovery are possible. Ms. Gilmer-Tullis emphasized that, with treatment, children abused through pornography can live normal lives.

However, Dr. Hamill pointed out that many victims suffer in silence, never disclosing the abuse.

"There are many consequences" for the victims of child pornography, he concluded. "Not all victims experience all the consequences, but it's rare to see a victim who doesn't experience some of them."

(Learn more at www.missingkids.com and www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.)

(6/7/07)