0
0
As technology has become more prevalent and pornography consumption has increased, more attention is being directed towards the harms that the industry causes towards women and girls. Sexual violence is being perpetrated at alarming rates, and addressing the structures that fuel misogynistic frameworks has become increasingly important. This can be seen in a recent decision made by the UK government that made strangulation in pornography illegal. The decision follows findings made by the Independent Porn Review, which determined that pornography has played a significant role in normalising strangulation during sex and misleading people to believe it is a safe practice. A key component of the UK Government’s ‘Plan for Change’ involves a pledge to halve violence against women and girls, and the decision to illegalise strangulation in porn aims to assist in this goal by preventing the normalisation of violent practices against women. The Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Andrea Simon, stated that the ban ‘is a vital step towards recognising the role violent pornography plays in shaping attitudes towards women.’ There is no doubt that sexual asphyxiation is by no means an uncommon practice. In fact, in an age in which there is increasing stigma surrounding ‘vanilla’ sex, prompting rough sex practices to become more common, strangulation has become a sexual norm. The ban imposed by the UK not only marks a monumental step towards protecting women and girls from violent practices but shines a light on how mainstream pornography often fuels the misogynistic frameworks that legitimise violence against women.
Sexual asphyxiation is an incredibly common practice depicted by pornography. These depictions overwhelmingly involve women being choked by men, often incredibly violently and without consent. It is important to note that strangulation, despite its prevalence in online media, is a far more dangerous practice than many realise. Whilst it is healthy and normal to explore boundaries and power dynamics whilst engaging in sexual activity, strangulation cannot be done safely. Necks are incredibly fragile and require very little pressure to block the jugular vein. People who have been strangled are at an incredibly high risk of brain damage, seizures, memory loss, depression, and even death. The prevalence of sexual asphyxiation within pornography has played a major role in culturally legitimising this violence against women and forcing them to face these significant risks. As we live in an increasingly digital age, the rate at which young people view pornography is drastically increasing. People are consuming pornography more frequently and from a younger age, meaning that many are exposed to intense and often violent sexual media before they even engage in sexual activity themselves. Online violence in pornography informs offline behaviour, meaning that men consuming excessive amounts of this content are highly likely to engage in these violent practices themselves. Pornography fuels a connection between the content itself and embodied sensation, conflating violence and pleasure within the brain. It is in this way that men are conditioned to perceive violent practices, such as strangulation, as integral components of sex. This eroticisation of women’s degradation and suffering puts women at heightened risk of injury and sexual assault. When pornography fuels damaging scripts that strangulation is a sexual norm, many men regard it as an expected practice and do not seek consent beforehand. Despite its violent and dangerous nature, many women report being choked during sex without being asked for consent. Further, young girls are increasingly reporting to having been choked without consent the first time they engage in sexual activity. The experiences of women attest to the damage that the normalisation of violence by pornography is inflicting upon society. The abusive narratives within online media are not isolated, and the misogynistic attitudes they depict directly influence the actions of men within society. Not only does violence within pornography normalise and eroticise harmful practices, but it also disregards consent and fuels sexual violence.
The decision made by the UK Government to make strangulation within pornography illegal has brought significant attention towards the danger women and girls face in society and the role pornography plays in fuelling this violence. The sexual narratives depicting the humiliation and degradation of women place them at a real and significant risk of violence and sexual assault. The way in which pornography normalises dangerous practices and disregards consent plays a direct role in maintaining the misogynistic frameworks that sees women and girls exploited for the sexual desires and pleasures of men. The ban implemented by the UK marks a step towards a society that does not eroticise violence against women. We can hope the decision and the discourse it promotes will ensure a better future for all women and girls in society.
Written by Matilda Davies
Author
Views: 8