WA: Federal Judge Ties Up Online Sex-Advertising Law
WIRED: A federal judge pre-emptively blocked a landmark state law that would have required online companies to verify the ages of people in ads offering “adult services,” which range from thinly-veiled ads for prostitution, as well as legal, but kinky services. | Backpage v. McKenna, No. C12-954-RSM (W.D. Wash.)
Sweden: More effective and better protection is needed for children online
“A national Swedish evaluation study has highlighted the need for a chain of interventions to offer children who have experienced violence against their mother the right level of support to work through their experiences. There is also frequently a lack of structured risk assessments for identifying children who are at continued risk of exposure to violence, reveal researchers from the universities of Gothenburg, Karlstad, Uppsala and Örebro.”
Kenya: Counselors raise alarm over youth addiction to pornography
“Professional counselors are calling for immediate action to tackle increasing cases of addiction to internet pornography among Kenyan youth.”
Law Review: How the state can prevent unintended consequences in punishing sexting by minors
“Minors and young adults who engage in sexting face serious, and often unanticipated, psychological and reputational consequences. While the current state response to sexting between minors and between young adults is inappropriate, the state can intervene in several innovative ways to educate minors and young adults about the consequences of primary and secondary sexting, impose appropriate penalties on minors who engage in primary and secondary sexting, and recognize and support appropriate remedies for minors and young adults who are victims of secondary sexting.”
6th Circuit upholds OH law prohibiting transmission of material harmful to juveniles via “personally directed electronic communications”
American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression v. Strickland, Nos. 07-4375/4376 (6th Cir. Apr. 15, 2010)
Internet awash in teen porn
North County Times: “If you place any stock in the veracity of Yahoo search engine statistics, you will discover that close to 50 new Web sites featuring ‘teen porn’ are born on Yahoo every minute of every day, at least for the past month. While this research is strictly unscientific, it speaks to a phenomenon that clearly places people into two distinct camps: those who know that America is awash in teen porn, and those who are firmly in denial.”
The harms of pornography exposure among children and young people
“Exposure to pornography is routine among children and young people, with a range of notable and often troubling effects. Particularly among younger children, exposure to pornography may be disturbing or upsetting.”
Exposure to pornography among youth in Australia
“Among 16- and 17-year-olds, three-quarters of boys and one-tenth of girls have ever watched an X-rated movie. Three-quarters of 16- and 17-year-olds have been exposed accidentally to pornographic websites, while 38 percent of boys and 2 percent of girls have deliberately accessed them.”
Unwanted and wanted exposure to online pornography in a national sample of youth internet users
“Forty-two percent of youth Internet users had been exposed to online pornography in the past year. Of those, 66% reported only unwanted exposure. … More research concerning the potential impact of Internet pornography on youth is warranted, given the high rate of exposure, the fact that much exposure is unwanted, and the fact that youth with certain vulnerabilities, such as depression, interpersonal victimization, and delinquent tendencies, have more exposure.”
