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Regular Session, 2011
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 12
REPRESENTATIVE TIM BURNS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to appoint and convene a task force
to evaluate Louisiana's existing laws, programs, and services that address childhood
addiction to pornography and to report its findings and recommendations for
additional steps necessary to further address this issue to the Legislature of
Louisiana.
WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana has recognized the need for intervention
in the lives of children to help provide them with safe, healthy, successful, and productive
lives; and
WHEREAS, the Internet provides a constant, ever-changing source of information
and entertainment, where email, blogs, social networks, and message boards allow for both
public and anonymous communication about any topic; and
WHEREAS, according to statistics published by Family Safe Media, in 2006, there
were over four million pornographic websites, which is twelve percent of the total number
of websites available on the Internet; and
WHEREAS, approximately twenty-five percent of daily search engine requests
involve searches for pornographic material, over forty-two percent of Internet users are
viewing pornographic material, and thirty-four percent of Internet users have received
unwanted exposure to sexual material through the Internet; and
WHEREAS, the average child sees his first pornographic image at the age of eleven,
and according to researchers, about ninety percent of children between the ages of eight and
sixteen have viewed pornography; and
WHEREAS, children with significant exposure to sexuality in the media were shown
to be significantly more likely to have had intercourse at ages fourteen to sixteen, and such
exposure has been shown to lead to physical sexuality, an increase in the spread of sexual
diseases, and an increase of unwanted pregnancies by young children; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 12
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WHEREAS, neurological studies, including brain scans, of children who have
become addicted to Internet pornography has revealed that the physiological changes in the
brain of a pornography addict closely resemble those who are addicted to alcohol and drugs,
and that this addiction has an especially deep impact on children between the ages of eight
and twelve whose brains are still developing; and
WHEREAS, a study published in The Journal of Sex Research found that children
under the age of fourteen years who are habitually exposed to pornographic material have
an increased likelihood of becoming sexual predators, especially rapists; and among child
molesters, research found that fifty-three percent used pornography as a prelude to their
molestation; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has recognized the devastating impact of
childhood addiction to pornography and has recognized the important need to evaluate
Louisiana's current ability to address this issue and to revise current measures and implement
new measures to properly address this growing issue; and
WHEREAS, in conducting this evaluation, it is necessary that the Louisiana State
Law Institute appoint and convene a task force composed of representatives of each of the
following: the Department of Children and Family Services; the Children's Cabinet; the
Governor's Advisory Board of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Louisiana
Commission on Addictive Disorders; the Department of Education; the Department of
Health and Hospitals, office of behavioral health; the Louisiana Information Technology
Board; the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission; the Children's Code
Committee of the Louisiana State Law Institute; the Criminal Code Committee of the
Louisiana State Law Institute; the Louisiana District Attorneys Association; the Louisiana
Public Defender Board; the Louisiana Sheriff's Association; the Department of Public Safety
and Corrections, office of juvenile justice; the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and
Family; the Louisiana House of Representatives; the Louisiana Senate; and any other entity
concerned with the well-being of children in this state.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana State Law Institute to appoint and convene a task force to
evaluate Louisiana's existing laws, programs, and services that address childhood addiction ENROLLEDHCR NO. 12
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to pornography and to report its findings and recommendations for additional steps necessary
to further address this issue to the Legislature of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana State Law Institute report its
findings and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana no later than January 1, 2013.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Louisiana State Law Institute.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE