Focus on the Family recently conducted a survey with Zogby International indicating that one out of five American adults (including both those online and off) may have looked for sex on the Internet. With twenty percent of the respondents to a March 8-10 survey admitting they had visited a sexually-oriented Web site -- that could represent as many as 40 million adults.
Predictably, the percentage was higher among males and young adults. Of the men surveyed, 31% said they had visited sex sites and 37% of 18-24 year olds admitted they had as well. Of interest to Focus on the Family was the fact that 17.8% of those who identify themselves as "born again" Christians and 18% of those who are married have also viewed sex sites. Interestingly, a follow-up question revealed that nearly two-thirds of American adults thought it wasn't likely that sexual fulfillment could be found online.
"A large number of people are spending time looking for sex online even though they don't think they'll find sexual fulfillment. In the meantime, we're finding that surfing for sex can lead people away from their relationships in the real world," said Steve Watters, Internet Analyst for Focus on the Family.
"The calls and letters we receive here at Focus on the Family emphasize these findings. In the past few months we have heard from hundreds of struggling families who have been divided by the illusion of sexual fulfillment online," said Watters. "Many of those contacting us are religious leaders who feel they have no one else to turn to. In fact, one out of every five individuals who call a phone line specifically setup to counsel families in Christian ministry admit to having a pornography problem," said Watters.
"Viewing pornographic images online or trading intimate messages in chat rooms may seem like 'harmless entertainment' at first," said Dr. Dobson, president of Focus on the Family. "However, these activities can quickly lead to the addiction and compulsive behavior that poison relationships in the real world. Many marriages have already been destroyed as men and women have been lured away from their spouses by online fantasies."
Focus on the Family has created an online resource called Pure Intimacy (www.pureintimacy.org) to help re-direct individuals from the disappointments of Internet sex and back to the possibilities of real-world relationships. The site offers resources, articles by a variety of sex experts, counseling referrals, and information on Internet filtering services.
"We care about the issues facing today's families and that is why we created this website as a tool for those struggling with cybersex addictions," said Watters.
Zogby International surveyed 1031 adults nationwide March 8-10, 2000. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.2%. The complete results of the survey can be found on the Pure Intimacy Web site at: www.pureintimacy.org.
