According to a 2017 study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 100% of the young men and 82% of the young women (aged 15-29) had viewed pornography. 38% of viewing pornography was through a Smartphone and 87% was viewed alone. Children and Teens with smart devices behind closed doors can be a recipe for trouble…

While pornography is not going away, it simply makes too much money for too many people, it is also becoming more easily available and increasingly violent. Another study found that 88% of scenes contained physical violence and 87% of that violence was directed at females.

The Pornography Industry is telling a stream of lies to children and young people about relationships. Built on exploitation and degradation and disguised as pleasure,  when children and teenagers listen to these lies it can greatly damage their potential for safe and healthy future relationships. Pornography has been linked to increased domestic violence, sexual assault, poor mental health, human trafficking and slavery, as well as sexual dysfunction at a lower age.

Below are some articles from iParent with some ideas on how you can navigate conversations around pornography with your children. As parents, if we don’t talk to our children about this issue, I know of an industry who is more than happy to on our behalf…

• 6 Strategies for when your child accidentally finds pornography online.
• How to talk to under 8’s about pornography
• Talking to your 8 – 12 year old about pornography
• Talking to teens about pornography