1 In 3 Parents Regret Skipping ‘The Talk’ – Here’s How To Speak To Your Child About Porn
New data from the MakeLoveNotPorn Academy has revealed that parents are concerned about their children’s access to porn online.
Their research found that one in three parents admitting that they wish they had started conversations about sex and pornography with their children earlier, and nearly half stating that they feel ‘powerless’ when it comes to controlling the content their children access online.
This comes just days after Police Scotland announced that rape allegations have risen by 19% in Scotland.
One in 10 children have watched pornography by age 9
Experts are urging parents to have conversations earlier following a report last year by the Children’s Commissioner for England and former head teacher Dame Rachel de Souza, which found that one in 10 children have watched pornography by the time they are 9 years old and four out of five have seen pornography involving violence by the age of 18.
Not only that, but the report found that nearly half of the 16-21 year olds surveyed assumed that girls either ‘expect’ or ‘enjoy’ sex which involves physical aggression.
De Souza urged following the report: “We urgently need to do more to protect children from the harms of online pornography. It should not be the case that young children are stumbling across violent and misogynistic pornography on social media sites.”
The new Online Safety Bill, which comes into force early next year, will see social media platforms facing fines if they do not comply with new regulations to keep children safe.
Snapchat was recently sued as a result of its design features facilitating the sharing of child sexual exploitation material.
The regulations will give companies three months from when the guidance is finalised to carry out risk assessments and make relevant changes to safeguard users.
However, campaigners say that this isn’t enough.
“We cannot rely solely on teachers or regulation on social media”
Cindy Gallop, campaigner and founder of the MakeLoveNotPorn Academy, a forthcoming sex education platform focused on irradicating sexual violence, comments: “Parents need to wake up and realise that by the time their child goes to school, it’s highly likely they’ve already been exposed to harmful content online.
“The only way we can influence our children on positive morals around sex is to educate them about consent and the importance of having respectful, loving, happy relationships. However, we cannot rely solely on teachers or regulation on social media companies to do this.”
The Child Mind Institute offers resources on speaking to children about porn and said on their website: “Let [your children] know that porn is acting. In real life, there are many more kinds of bodies than pornography shows.
“There’s more intimacy and more foreplay. In real life, people need to check in about consent and what feels good. It’s not just about male pleasure. Having safer sex means talking about condoms, birth control, and STIs. You won’t see those conversations in porn, but they’re still important.”
They added: “We’re not telling parents to authorise watching porn, any more than talking about drinking is giving them permission to drink.”
MakeLoveNotPorn Academy is a sex education platform set to launch later this year. It will be a valuable resource for parents, educators, and individuals seeking trustworthy and reliable information to educate both themselves and their children about sex. To join its supporters, including the actress and activist, Jameela Jamil, you can contribute to the WeFunder at wefunder.com/makelovenotporn.