| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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Wives believed the pornography use negatively impacted the marital and sexual relationship. They were astonished at the availability of pornography, and the ease in which husbands (and often children) were able to access what they believed was objectionable material. Wives saw the Internet as the culprit and worried about husbands’ sexual proclivities and moral decline as well as the effects on their children if they should discover pornographic Web sites. Many clients expressed unfamiliarity with computers and a lack of knowledge about the Internet. All were shocked at the accessible graphic material.
A reoccurring theme in therapy was the lack of success women had in convincing their husbands to relinquish Internet activity. They related the numerous, futile attempts and often explosive arguments that followed discoveries of husbands’ Internet activity. Furthermore, many of them believed they were responsible for their spouses’ pornographic use. They wondered if they had failed their husbands in the bedroom, if they were no longer “sexy” enough, or if something was wrong with them because the husbands were “looking” elsewhere.
Prior to the availability of the Internet, men had to sneak off to an “adult” bookstore, peep show, or certain movie theaters usually located in seedier parts of the city. Pornography was available only underground, not in the “respectable” areas. Men brought home magazines, Playboy, being the most popular and more socially acceptable. However, with the ascent of the Internet, men had access to a less-visible, readily available media source in the relative privacy of the home. They could easily access pornography with a click of the mouse.
Discourse in the public domain on the subject of pornography focuses on issues of morality, domination and oppression of women, and violation of women’s civil rights. Religious leaders, moral educators, and social feminists dominate the discussion. However, the issues of pornography are far more complex and cannot be understood through a limited lens.
Earlier forms of obtainable heterosexual pornography concentrated on the nude female form. The Internet opened up areas of pornographic viewing not previously or easily accessible. Available pornographic visuals now include heterosexual, homosexual, child, sadomasochistic, and bestiality. The literature review examines all the forms of sexual activity offered via the Internet.