Skills for the Job: Understanding the dangers of porn

How many children view pornography?
Pornography is an emotive subject and a bit of a minefield for those working with children and young people. The advent of tablet devices and smartphones has made pornography more easily available than ever before, but there are not any clear figures on how many children view pornography or how old they are.

A report by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England last month concluded that a “significant proportion” of children and young people are exposed to, or access pornography. It is apparent that young men and boys are more likely to be exposed to pornography than young women and girls.

Why do young people view pornography?
Some children and young people stumble across pornography by accident, some actively search for it, and some find it because they were looking for sexual education.

What are the dangers?
Research on the impact of pornography on young people is limited and inconclusive. Some studies have reported a link between problematic sexual attitudes and behaviours (such as seeing women as sex objects) and exposure to sexually explicit material. However, the link may not be causal. It could be the case that people with particular attitudes around objectification may be drawn to sexual media. What we know for certain is that pornography can be very upsetting for children and young people who see it.

There have been instances of children calling ChildLine for help and advice about it. Pornography can show oppressive situation