•  
  •  
 

Biography

Meghan Donevan is a Canadian-Swede with close to 10 years’ experience working directly with and supporting survivors of prostitution, pornography and human trafficking for sexualized exploitation. She is the research director at the non-profit organization Talita (www.talita.se), where she is actively engaged in research, prevention and support work among women exiting prostitution in all its forms. She has published research on pornography’s impact on young people and is currently an associated researcher at Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College. Beyond this, she initiated and led her team in the development of Reality Check, a toolbox of educational resources addressing the harms of pornography. https://doi.org/0000-0003-3761-6186

Abstract

Despite being a global, billion-dollar industry, very little is known about the conditions women face within the pornography industry. The aim of this study was to explore women’s experiences in pornography production, with a particular focus on structural antecedents to entrance, coercion, and violence within the industry, as well as current needs and any barriers to exiting the industry. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine women with experiences in pornography production in Sweden. Participants identified young age, financial insecurity, earlier exposure to sexualized violence, and poor mental health as typical antecedents to entering the pornography industry. Once in the industry, women risk manipulation and coercion by pornographers and porn buyers, making it difficult to maintain personal boundaries. Women are regularly harassed by porn buyers who send requests to purchase specific sexualized acts online or offline. The greater a woman’s vulnerability, the more difficult it is to resist pornographer’s and porn buyer’s demands. Experiences in prostitution and other forms of commercial sexualized exploitation are common. A significant barrier to exiting pornography production is the distress of having one’s pornographic images remain online indefinitely. In order to exit the pornography industry and access real alternatives, participants stressed the importance of vocational training, further education and psychosocial support. This study is an important step in elucidating the situation faced by women in pornography production. Further documentation of harms and assessment of needs is warranted for policymaking and the development of effective support services for this vulnerable population.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS