Porn ‘highly normalised’ among youth, research report shows

NZ Herald 18 April 2020
Family First Comment: “Many said they first saw porn accidentally, several said they were shown it by someone else, and a small number said an adult showed it to them for the first time. Most of our interviewees felt that children should not see porn. Furthermore, it was quite common for young people to think they saw porn too young, and would have preferred to have been older when they first saw it,”

Yeah – the problem is we already know this. It’s time for action. Hold the porn industry accountable. Stop sexual exploitation. Prioritise the welfare of children. Empower parents to protect their famiies.
www.PornInquiry.nz

Porn is so accessible and normalised for young people that some view it as “inevitable” and “a big part of our generation”, a new report shows.

The Classification Office has released the third report in a three-part youth-focused research programme on porn and what it means for New Zealand youth.

Previous reports in the programme have provided evidence on how many saw it, at what age, how often, and what they were seeing.

The new research shows where the issues are for young people and aims to understand why young people view porn, why it matters, and why the approach to it should be rethought.

The overwhelming response was that the teenagers surveyed were concerned at how easy porn was to find, and what messages it sent about sex and consent.

“I wish I hadn’t had to see that at that age,” said one girl.

Of the 52 young people (14-17) surveyed, many said they first saw porn accidentally, several said they were shown it by someone else, and a small number said an adult showed it to them for the first time.

One young person said porn could be “weaponised” by an adult as a form of sexual abuse.

“Most of our interviewees felt that children should not see porn. Furthermore, it was quite common for young people to think they saw porn too young, and would have preferred to have been older when they first saw it,” chief censor David Shanks said in the report.
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