MEDIA ADVISORY ALERT & RSVP Announcing News Conference on THE PORN PHENOMENON: A COMPREHENSIVE NEW SURVEY ON AMERICANS, THE CHURCH, AND PORNOGRAPHY

Groundbreaking Study Reveals Changing Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Pornography—Especially Among Teens and Young Adults

When:     Tuesday, January 19^th, 2016 – 10 AM

Where:    (refreshments served)

Omni Berkshire Hotel
Vanderbilt Room (ground floor, rear lobby)
21 East 52^nd Street (52^nd St and Madison Ave, entrance on 52^nd Street)
Manhattan/New York City

RSVP to: John Hanrahan (hanrahan.john@gmail.com) or Mike Schwager (moschwager@aol.com)

(New York, NY – January 8, 2016) – The increasing impact and reach of pornography in the digital age cannot be overstated. In this survey—the most comprehensive, in-depth and wide-ranging study to date on pornography among the American population—the research reveals a younger and younger exposure to pornography, increased desensitization and an escalating usage of pornography. These results are particularly evident among teens and young adults—and reach into the Christian church as well.

Detailed survey findings will be announced at a news conference on Tuesday, January 19^th at 10 AM Eastern time at The Omni Berkshire Hotel, in the Vanderbilt Room, 21 East 52^nd Street in New York City. Abbreviated random highlights of the survey include the following, with more detail and many more findings and disclosures to be presented at the news conference:

• More than one quarter (27%) of young adults ages 25 – 30 first viewed pornography before puberty.
• Nearly half of young people actively seek out porn weekly or more often
• Teens & Young Adults consider “not recycling” more immoral than viewing pornography 
• Teenage girls and young women are significantly more likely to actively seek out porn than women over age 25
• 66% of Teens and Young Adults have received a sexually explicit image and 41% have sent one
• More than half of Christian youth pastors have had at least one teen come to them for help in dealing with porn in the past 12 months
• 21% of youth pastors and 14% of pastors admit they currently struggle with using porn. About 12% of Youth Pastors and 5% of Pastors say they are addicted to porn.

 NOTE: At the January 19^th News Conference, survey results include:

• How Americans Define Porn
• Changing Attitudes Toward Porn
• Increasing Pervasiveness of Porn
• How Americans Use Porn
• Pornography Among Teens
• “Porn 2.0”: sexting, social media and “personal” porn
  
• Pastors & Porn
• Porn in the Church

A wide-ranging, nationally-representative audience of nearly 3,000 participated in four online studies, including in-depth surveys among the general population, American teenagers, Christian pastors and the Christian church.

The research study was conducted by Barna Group, a visionary research and resource company located in Ventura, California. Started in 1984, the firm is widely considered to be a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture. The study has been commissioned by Josh McDowell Ministry, a Cru ministry based in Plano, Texas.

“It is vital to raise awareness about the threat of Internet pornography,” said Josh McDowell. “Pornography violates all relational values between the individual and self, the individual and society, the unity of our families and our moral fabric and fiber as a nation. When we objectify and demean life by removing the sanctity of the human person, our future is at risk.”

Presenters at the news conference are: David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group (https://www.barna.org/); Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group; and Josh McDowell, founder of Josh McDowell Ministry (/).

David Kinnaman has overseen studies polling the opinions and perspectives of more than 400,000 individuals. He has designed and analyzed research for Easter Seals, Habitat for Humanity, NBC Universal, the Salvation Army, Sony, the American Bible Society, World Vision, Harper Collins and many others. He has been quoted in major media outlets including USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News and CNN.

Roxanne Stone was one of the lead designers and analysts on the Porn Phenomenon study and is the editor in chief at Barna Group and the general editor of the Barna FRAMES series. For more than a decade, Roxanne has been an editor and writer focusing on the intersection of faith and culture.

Josh McDowell is a speaker and writer specializing in Christian thought, contemporary culture and family relationships. Since 1961, he has delivered more than 27,000 talks to over 25,000,000 people in 125 countries. He is the author or co-author of 145 books, including New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, recognized by World Magazine as one of the top 40 books of the twentieth century.

“We hope and pray that the findings of ‘The Porn Phenomenon’ survey, will not only point to the seriousness of the situation, but open ways to creatively seek solutions and help us network with other organizations to help families and individuals of all ages and stages,” said McDowell.

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Contacts:

Mike Schwager, Worldlink Media: 954-423-4414, moschwager@aol.com

John Hanrahan, Worldlink Media: 917-216-7098, hanrahan.john@gmail.com

Roxanne Stone, Barna Group: 970-221-4182, rstone@barna.org

Justin Nations, Josh McDowell Ministry: 706-207-9590, justin.nations@josh.org