College Students and Pornography

If you work with college students, you are working with some students who have had porn issues or are in the midst of it now.  That is just how wide spread and pervasive it is.  The Recovery Village says that "35% of all internet downloads are porn related".  A College Minister told me this week he had done an anonymous survey among the guys in their discipleship groups and every one of them said they either were currently struggling with porn or had in the past.  ALL....100% and these were all highly involved in a college ministry.

He did this survey as a result of a graduate who had been a leader in his ministry sharing with him that he had lost his marriage due to his involvement with pornography.  Experts in this field say that as someone becomes addicted to porn, normal human relationships begin to suffer as reality does not measure up for them.

Medical News Today says porn users...

... ignore other responsibilities to view porn.

... view progressively more extreme pornography to get the same release that less extreme porn once offered.

... feel frustrated or ashamed after viewing porn but continue to do do so.

... want to stop using pornography but feel unable to do so.

A psychiatrist told me that the "capture rate" for porn is higher than for alcohol, marijuana, and drugs.  He said there is a percentage of people who will try or use each that will become addicted. That is the "capture rate".  And, the addiction rate or "capture rate" for those that try porn is higher than each of the other three.

Ryan Scantling, BCM College Minister at the University of Arkansas, does a message on purity/porn every spring semester and asks those who are currently involved with porn to abstain for 21 days and "We go through a devotional together everyday for those 21 days."  He indicated this has had a good response.

Porn used to be considered a "Guy Issue",  but Sarah Farley, former College Minister at the University of Georgia and now at the International Mission Board, says she believes about 1 in 3 girls  have some sort of porn issue today.  Due to the "normalization" of it and that it is now considered "healthy" and is so accessible, she believes the number of girls involved with porn will go to 1 out of 2.  Sarah says, "We are fighting a re-definition of sexuality, pleasure and sin. It literally changes the brain."

You do not have to be an expert on porn to begin to help students with this issue. Part of it is opening the topic up and giving students the opportunity to talk to someone they trust and who can help hold them accountable. Plus, you can point them to helpful resources. One resource in this area is www.fightthenewdrug.com.  It has helpful articles and videos that would benefit you in working with students and also in referring students to it.

Are you working with college students?  Then, you probably are working with some students who are wrestling with porn issues.  What are you doing to help?

Arliss Dickerson's college ministry books are available at amazon.com/dp/B08CMD9CXX