What parents and educators need to know about teens’ pornography and sexting experiences at school

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Megan K. Maas, Michigan State University

(THE CONVERSATION) Three out of four teenagers have seen online pornography – often before they even became a teenager. That’s according to a new report from Common Sense Media that examines the role pornography plays in the lives of today’s youth.

Some teens do more than just watch pornography. By way of “sexting,” teenagers are also creating and sending their own images and videos of themselves in the nude.

For the most part, it’s not the job of school staff to worry about what kids are looking at on the internet or sending over their phones. However, as an expert on human development – and as one who studies adolescent sexuality – I believe parents and educators should be prepared to address potential issues that might arise as a result of students’ engagement with pornography and sexting. This sort of preparedness is especially pertinent today because smartphones enable kids to look at porn and to sext during school hours.

Here are five things that parents and educators should know as pornography use and sexting become more commonplace among students:

1. Pornography is not what it used to be

Fifty-two percent of teens...