- Clickbait adverts and malicious links appearing as ‘pop-ups’.
- Search engines and social media.
- TV/movies and books/magazines.
- Fictional stories and audio (including celebrities and characters), and other forms of erotic art.
Access to Pornography and Sexualised Content
As young people mature, it is natural for them to be curious about sex. Make sure children in your care know who they can talk to about sex and relationships if they have any questions. That might be you, or another trusted adult.
At age 11-13, more than half of young people have seen pornography and this increases to 66% at 14-15 years old.
The majority of young people’s first-time viewing pornography was accidental and/or unintentional.
These statistics suggest that between the ages of 11-15, many young people may need to understand how to process potentially harmful sexual material. Porn and other sexualised content can negatively impact young people’s brain development and physical wellbeing.
Where can young people access pornography?
Porn and sexualised content can be found by using a search engine. In some cases, innocent phrases or misspellings can signpost to sites that contain adult content.
Pornography can also be searched for on popular social media platforms, including Snapchat and Twitter. Some accounts on these platforms offer ‘premium services’, which involves users sending money in exchange for sexualised content.
Young people can also access pornography and sexualised content on:
The impact of pornography on young people
Porn does not accurately represent real sexual relationships. It is estimated that it takes over 8hrs to film a short scene. In most forms, commercial pornography is an exaggerated and ‘high performance’ staged depiction of sex featuring adult actors.
Access to online pornography can distort young people’s views and expectations regarding body image, sexual activity and the importance of consent and respect for others. This can also apply to adults if they are overexposed to porn and sexualised content.
This may not be clear to young people when they engage with pornography, and they might mistakenly believe that the ‘intense performance’ and idealised bodies are normal. They may also see harmful and damaging sexual practices that are not based on healthy and safe sexual relationships that respect consenting adults and their wishes.
The consumption of pornography can:
- Make young people feel desensitised to normal sexual activity/behaviours.
- Cause feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
- Contribute to damaging attitudes about sex, relationships, and the treatment of others during sex.
- Have negative impacts on the brain’s reward centres. The feel-good chemical dopamine can cause habits to form (this is how addiction works).
Understanding Porn Habits
You may have heard a lot about porn addiction in the media. Despite not being an accepted medical term, ‘porn addiction’ really refers to compulsive habits of viewing or accessing pornography.
It is important to recognise that masturbation in private is typical of young people’s healthy sexual development as they move into their teenage years. At this point, it is natural for young people to explore their bodies and sexuality. Some young people may use pornography to project fantasises about themselves and others onto real life people.
These habits can be formed in simple terms because the activity causes a rush of dopamine (the feel-good chemical) in the brain. Young people may watch pornography because they are curious, bored, lonely, anxious, sad, or aroused.
In some cases, they may use pornography to cope with difficult feelings like anxiety, sadness, or other mental health issues.
In any case, moderation and healthy habits are key. If you have concerns about unhealthy sexual development or porn habits, or overexposure to pornography, you should speak to a medical professional.
Pornography and Abuse
Sometimes, abusers can use pornography in the grooming process. They may try to normalise its use by creating the impression that everyone watches it or to incite a young person’s curiosity in a particular act. Abusers may also use porn to exploit feelings of sexual immaturity to manipulate and coerce a victim into sexual behaviour.
Young people should be told that being asked or forced to watch pornography by an adult or other young person is wrong. Children in your care should always be encouraged to tell a trusted adult if anyone tries to show them pornography.
Pornography and the Law
Mind your language
What you say matters. It is important to understand the difference between pornography and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Some countries and the media still incorrectly use the phrase ‘child pornography’. Most parents and safeguarding professionals recognise this as an inaccurate and unhelpful description.
This is because:
- The term pornography fails to describe the seriousness of child sexual abuse and may even normalise the existence of this problem.
- In many cases, children who have been groomed and abused don't see themselves as victims. The adult who has abused them will often convince them that it is ‘their’ secret, and the child can often feel complicit and ashamed.
- Child sexual abuse images are a dangerous tool, often used by adults to normalise sexual activity with children during the grooming process.
- Ensuring that the public understands there is nothing 'pornographic' about child sexual abuse images is key to protecting children and young people from harm.
- Sexual abuse is better understood as an act of violence and control rather than sex.
Reporting – Online Child Abuse or Extreme Pornographic Images
If anyone accidentally stumbles across something they think is illegal, they can report the content anonymously online to have it removed.
NOTE: Never copy an indecent image of a child. If you come across one, capture the URL (the web address at the top of the page) but do not screen grab or capture the image. Report the social media page or website to the police or Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).