From the Editor’s Desk
Family Mantra has always dealt with issues that are relevant to urban families. Child abuse, domestic violence, addiction, crime….are just some of the social evils in India that we have covered. However one topic that we have wanted to write about for a while is addiction to pornography but have been unable to find the right stories/ material… until now.
Pornography is playing havoc in the minds of its users creating a generation of men who see women as objects to be used and abused and the end result of it is sexual violence and rape. Awareness seems to be spreading as Google shocked advertisers in July 2014 by banning Porn adverts from appearing on the search engine despite the fact that “Porn” is one of the most popular searches on Google.
Days before he was executed, the infamous serial rapist and killer, Ted Bundy declared that hard-core pornography was responsible for his murderous rampage. The recent epidemic of rape and crimes against women in India is alarming. Harsh punishments such as the death penalty and life sentences are not stopping people from committing this crime. Why aren’t they able to contain themselves and what is it that is compelling them to rape? Is there something happening in the brain of the user of pornography?
We are grateful for the extensive research done by the Ethos Institute which researches youth and sexual behaviour which gave us the answers to these questions. Dr. Dominic Dixon, the Provost of the institute, also shares his wealth of knowledge in this area to help us understand the addictive dangers of pornography and the devastating effects it has on us as a nation.
It takes immense courage for a person to speak out about his addiction to pornography, its shattering impact on his life and his ultimate victory. We express our heartfelt thanks to M.P. Agnel and his family, for sharing his story with our readers.
Violence against women is not just a women’s issue. It is men’s issue. Equal Community Foundation set out to change things with the belief that in order to achieve gender equality; they need to engage men as a part of the solution. Read about the work they do in this area and the impact it has in ‘Raise Men to end violence against Women’.
‘7 Golden Rules for dealing with your Teen’ the parenting column, helps you recognize your teen’s developmental needs and develop a new way of communicating that respectfully balances freedom and authority.
Marriage Mantra shows you how to “Use ‘I’as Peacemaker” to help you manage conflict in marriage better. Do you have life changing experiences, stories or insights that you wish to share with others? We’d love to hear from you!
Email us at talkback@urbanindia.org