In the city of El Alto, legally there's a recognition that pornographic content fuels violence, gender discrimination and reinforces harmful stereotypes against women. However, putting this law into action seems like an insurmountable challenge.
This isn't just a concern for Project Suma; many organizations and researchers are alarmed by the impact of porn. Lim et al. (2017)¹ suggest that teaching about porn's effects should be part of sex education curriculum. They found that porn consumption can influence behavior, echoing findings like Bridges et al. (2016)², who link porn to a desire to imitate what's seen.
But why would individual consumption of pornography be a problem for Bolivian society? Some argue it's a private matter, but early exposure, coupled with a lack of formal education on the topic, can shape young minds' views on sex. Drawing on the ideas of sociologists Gagnon and Simon (1973/2017)³, porn sets a script for how we view sex and relationships.
Pornography can also portray women as mere objects of sexual desire, feeding into a system that devalues them and reinforces the broader societal assumption that women are inferior to men.
About Our Study in 2023
During 2023, Project Suma conducted a study with teenage boys, children of women who had survived sexual violence. We found that formal education barely scratches the surface when it comes to sexuality. Instead, it focuses on reproductive systems, preventing pregnancy and STDs, ignoring topics like consent and emotional health.
For many of these teens, school wasn't their first exposure to sex; they already knew the basics from their peers. And about half had seen porn out of curiosity by age 12. Those interviewed reported that they felt disgust, shame and/or fear when they learned that sexuality issues would be discussed in class. But none of them reported having opportunities to clarify doubts at home, because of the instability and violence their families face.
These findings raise questions about the adequacy of our education system. But we don’t just want to improve curriculum; we need to create environments where kids feel safe to ask questions and discuss sensitive topics. And it's clear we're falling short on that front.
- Joel Astorga, Project Suma volunteer and “Don’t Be A Part of the Demand” campaign ambassador
1. LIM, Megan, S.C.; AGIUS, Paul A.; CARROTTE, Elise R.; VELLA, Alyce M.; HELLARD, Margaret E. (2017). Young Australians’ use of pornography and associations with sexual risk behaviors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. VOL. 41. NO.4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1753-6405.12678
2. BRIDGES, Ana J.; SUN, Chyng F.; EZZELL, Matthew B.; JOHNSON, Jennifer. (2016). Sexual Scripts and the Sexual Behavior of Men and Women Who Use Pornography. Sexualization, Media, & Society. Volume 2, Issue 4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2374623816668275
3. GAGNON, John H.; SIMON, William. (1973/2017). Sexual Conduct: the social sources of human sexuality. New York, United States: Routledge.