How pornography is destroying marriages and families

The Sydney Morning Herald spent two months charting a social phenomenon that is poisoning couples and destroying families. Adele Horin reports:

The internet has brought an explosion of pornography into the home and workplace of virtually every Australian. Just a mouse-click away are images that exceed the bounds of fantasy or imagination. In 1961 the introduction of the pill helped usher in a sexual revolution. It had a profound effect on sexual attitudes, practices and relationships. It brought worry-free sex first to married couples, then to singles. And now there are experts – psychiatrists, sociologists and relationship counsellors among them – who argue that the social and psychological impact of internet pornography is potentially as huge.

For some Australians, the rising tide of internet pornography has offered a form of sex education. It has helped extend sexual repertoires, re-invigorated flagging sex lives, and assuaged anxieties or hang-ups. It has been, some argue, a liberation.

But internet pornography is also emerging as the new marriage-wrecker. More and more clients, counsellors say, have begun to cite internet pornography as a factor in their relationship breakdowns.

The technology has created what some call an addiction.

For full article entitled "How porn is wrecking relationships"

Sydney Morning Herald (26/05/07) go to:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/how-porn-is-wrecking-relationships/2007/05/25/1179601669144.html

Censors and Banned Porn Imports

Media Report 7 June

The Society’s investigations have determined that over a two year period before a 49-year old prominent Wellington town planner, appeared on 22 March 2007 before Wellington District Court Judge Stephen Harrop to face charges over the importation of 11 “objectionable” publications; he had embarked on a hugely expensive exercise, aided by his lawyer, Mr Greg King, to use the Film and Literature Board of Review and the Chief Censor’s Office to help him overturn the charges.  Robert John Schofield attempted unsuccessfully to have the classification of the publications downgraded from “objectionable” to “age restricted” (R18) so he could avoid conviction. The Society has applied under the Official Information Act to the Board Secretary and the Chief Censor’s Office to obtain copies of all the classification decisions issued with respect to these publications.

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