Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Barna Group
Research commissioned by
Josh McDowell Ministry
January 19, 2016
RESEARCH DESIGN
Definition
Sample Size
TEENS
13 17
303
YOUNG ADULTS
18 24
510
ADULTS
25 +
1,188
PASTORS
Senior Pastor
432
YOUTH PASTORS
Youth Pastor
338
KEY FINDINGS
Is that Porn?
Sexual intercourse is the most common defining factor for considering an image porn
sexual arousal also plays a large part in people viewing an image as porn.
a partially nude image
96%
90%
87%
86%
95%
89%
87%
80%
79%
78%
69%
64%
63%
58%
57%
54%
53%
50%
39%
24%
10%
10%
TEENS
YOUNG ADULTS
28%
25%
7%
ADULTS
YOUTH PASTORS
PASTORS
Teens & Young Adults generally consider more types of images to be pornography,
compared to Adults.
sex scenes that make up most or all of a
video, with very little story
83%
70%
66%
55%
61%
47%
46%
32%
26%
41%
30%
31%
23%
TEENS & YOUNG
ADULTS
84%
18%
14%
22%
32%
11%
9%
ADULTS
What of these things would you definitely consider porn? Among those who currently use porn.
ADULTS
For personal arousal, is the most common reason people use porn. Boredom is more
common among younger generations. Young Adults (18-24) also cite fun and sexual
expression, more than other generations.
80%
70%
Boredom
60%
Curiosity
50%
To express my sexuality
10%
13-17
18-24
25-30
31-50
51-69
10
The most common reason why people use porn is for personal arousal. Boredom is more
common among younger generations. Curiosity is also a common reason.
13-17
18-24
25-30
31-50
51-69
70+
Boredom
Boredom
Curiosity
Curiosity
Curiosity
Curiosity
Curiosity
Curiosity
Boredom
Boredom
Boredom
Boredom
To express my sexuality
11
MORALITY OF PORN
12
13
14
Young Adults (18-24) are the least likely age group to say porn is bad for society
13-17
18-24
27%
51-69
70+
16%
14%
9%
48%
30%
21%
24%
14%
32%
20%
37%
47%
17%
25-30
31-49
Overall, do you think that porn is a good or bad thing for our society?
4%
10%
22%
59%
8%
13%
44%
36%
22%
2%
2%
5%
19%
15
Teens (13-17) are least comfortable with the amount of porn they use, compared to
other age groups. Middle-aged adults are the most comfortable with their use.
Comfort Level with Porn Use
52%
13-17
26%
22%
31%
68%
18-24
22%
10%
69%
25-30
31-50
19%
13%
10%
64%
12%
24%
I am comfortable
with how much
porn I use
I would rather
72% not use it as
much as I do, but
some is OK
18%
51-69
21%
13-17
18-24
14%
15%
17%
25-30
31-50
51-69
50%
51%
54%
54%
13-17
18-24
25-30
31-50
I would rather
not use porn at
all
47%
51-69
16
7%
Midwest
17%
South
17%
white
11%
all non-white
24%
Income
17%
29%
12%
Catholic
23%
11%
Protestant Mainline
18%
Protestant Non-Mainline
25%
other Christian
17%
$50K to $99K
$100K plus
Denomination
Race
West
Practicing Christian
Protestant
19%
28%
conservative
Politics
Region
Northeast
8%
moderate
liberal
25%
11%
13%
R
A
N
K
Not recycling
Viewing pornographic images
Thinking negatively about someone with a different point of view
17
13%
17%
40%
43%
37%
36%
11%
5%
When you and your friends talk about pornography, is it most often in a way thats disagreeable, neutral,
accepting, or encouraging?
13-17
18-24
18
19
Only child pornography, non-consensual, and painful sex are considered always wrong
by the majority of people.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Depictions of teens
31-50
Sexual acts between two people of the same gender
51-69
What sexual images that involve any of these things are considered always wrong? Among those who
currently use porn.
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
20
21
22
23
Avenues of Porn
24
The Internet is by far the most frequented avenue for viewing pornography.
90%
13-17
18-24
25-30
31-50
51-69
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
videos online
online pictures
images in an app
(on cell phone or
tablet)
graphic novels
magazines
25
Younger generations are more likely to have viewed porn before puberty and on their
phones. Very few people actually pay for porn.
You mostly view pornography online
66%
64%
61%
50%
44%
35%
23%
16%
1%
13-17
18-24
25-30
31-50
51-69
27%
13%
I started viewing
pornography before puberty
6%
25-30
31-50
51-69
5%
6%
5%
25-30
31-50
51-69
*65% adults say they mostly view porn at home while only 1% say they mostly view porn at work
26
Two-thirds of Teens and Young Adults have received a sexually explicit image and 41%
have sent one, usually from/to their boy/girlfriend or friend.
no
37%
yes
41%
no
59%
yes
63%
Who is receiving?
57%
69%
Male
Female
44%
13-17
Who is sending?
69%
18-24
Has anyone ever sent you a nude image, via text, email, social media, or app?
If yes, who sent it to you?
33%
51%
Male
Female
24%
47%
13-17
18-24
In Search of Porn
27
Teenage girls and young women are significantly more likely to actively seek out porn
than women over age 25.
Teens & Young Adults
Male
19%
Female 2%
32%
15%
16%
daily
16%
14%
23%
weekly
19%
44%
less often
never
Adults
Male
Female
9%
1%5%
18%
6%
20%
19%
16%
daily
35%
73%
weekly
less often
never
28
29
30
31
The differences between what youth pastors and pastors come across is likely a
reflection of their age.
Youth Pastor
Pastor
57%
none of these
5%
none of these
7%
Have you personally ever come across the following types of pornography, even if you did not respond or
engage with it?
32
Just over one in five youth pastors currently struggles with using porn, and they use it at
least once a month. About 12% of youth pastors and 5% of pastors are addicted to porn.
Youth Pastor
yes, this is a current
struggle
YES
21%
Frequency
43%
36%
Pastor
yes, this is a current
struggle
yes, this was a struggle
in the past
43%
44%
22%
19%
less often
19%
daily
multiple times per
week
a few times per
month
less often
not sure
23%
yes
56%
35%
0%
no
21%
Frequency
YES
14%
daily
Addicted?
Addicted?
1%
not sure
26%
15%
35%
26%
21%
Have you ever struggled in your own personal life with using pornography? How often do you/did you
actually use pornography? Would you say you are/were addicted to pornography?
no
41%
yes
33%
33
very true
YOUTH PASTOR
PASTOR
somewhat true
44%
18%
31%
46%
For these items, please rate them according to whether each is true of your personal experience using
pornography.
14%
27%
12%
9%
34
Only 8% of pastors think that a pastor should resign his/her position if s/he is struggling
with porn. Most pastors think s/he should deal with the struggle through counseling or
accountability.
How much does the issue of porn interfere with your ability to find strong lay leaders in the church?
very
1%
somewhat
22%
not too
not at all
49%
29%
Which of the following do you think are usually a good idea when a pastor is struggling with porn?
find a professional counselor
82%
59%
58%
45%
21%
8%
1%
How much does the issue of porn interfere with your ability to find strong lay leaders in the church?
Which of the following do you think are usually a good idea when a pastor is struggling with porn?
35
41% adult Christians think that pastors should be fired or asked to resign if they are
found to be using porn. Younger Christians are more likely to take a lenient approach.
he should be fired or asked to resign
41%
29%
he should be allowed to teach and be given the help he needs to deal with it
16%
5%
other
5%
4%
57%
Millennials (25-30)
Gen-Xers (31-50)
Boomers (51-69)
47%
35%
27%
32% 30%
23%
25%
20%
24%
13%
6%
11%
10%
4% 4% 5%
he should be fired or asked he should be asked to take a he should be allowed to nothing; no action should be
to resign
leave of absence until he is teach and be given the help
taken by the church
no longer using it
he needs to deal with it
What do you think should be done if a church finds out that its pastor is using pornography?
4% 4%
other
10%
7%
1%
2% 0%
36
More than half of youth pastors have had at least one teen come to them for
help in dealing with porn in the past 12 months.
Although teens seeking help are mainly teen boys, there is still a significant
amount of teen girls seeking help from youth pastors.
Men of all ages and stages, but especially married men, are coming to pastors
for help with pornography struggles.
Despite the awareness of the problem, most churches do not have programs
specifically designed to assist those struggling with porn use.
37
38
The vast majority of the faith community, including leaders and laity, believe that
pornography is a bigger problem in the Church than it was two decades ago.
23%
34%
51%
33%
10%
24%
75%
70%
In your view, how does the issue of pornography compare to 20 years ago, specifically for the "Church" in
America?
23%
20%
6%
19%
6%
7% 1%
39
More than half of youth pastors have had at least one teen come to them for help in
dealing with porn in the past 12 months. Although teens seeking help are mainly boys,
there is still a significant amount of girls seeking help from youth pastors.
In the past 12 months, how many teens have come to you for help in dealing with porn?
50%
32%
1 to 5
9%
7%
3%
6 to 10
11 to 24
25+
In the past 12 months, how many teens have come to you for help in dealing with porn?
Which types of youth have sought help in dealing with pornography?
10%
married men
59%
unmarried men
36%
teenage boys
33%
none of these
29%
married women
5%
unmarried women
5%
teenage girls
4%
40
married men
59%
single men
36%
teenage boys
33%
none of these
8%
6%
10%
21%
15%
15%
10%
29%
20%
daily
married women
5%
single women
5%
2% 5%
2%
teenage girls
4%
2%
3%
2% 11%
weekly
61%
6%
23%
42%
21%
43%
87%
7%
15%
84%
81%
less often
never
yes
Adults:
9%
44%
yes,
7%
Pastors:
no,
93%
no
not sure
47%
42
43