Children's 'porn addiction' fears

Easy access to porn on the internet is affecting children with many reporting they have seen images that have shocked or upset them.

A man watches porn

(AAP)

More than one in 10 children (12 per cent) aged 12-to-13 have made or been part of a sexually explicit video, according to British research.

Nearly one-in-10 (nine per cent) of children in the age group are worried that they are addicted to porn, a survey of nearly 700 children for Britain's NSPCC's ChildLine service has found.

And around one-in-five (18 per cent) said they have seen porn images that have shocked or upset them.

Dame Esther Rantzen, the founder of ChildLine, said that children as young as 11 had contacted the service with concerns about pornography.

"Young people are turning to the internet to learn about sex and relationships.

"We know they are frequently stumbling across porn, often unintentionally, and they are telling us very clearly that this is having a damaging and upsetting effect on them," she said.

"Girls in particular have said they feel like they have to look and behave like porn stars to be liked by boys.

"We absolutely have to talk to young people about sex, love, respect and consent as soon as we feel they are ready, to ensure that they gain a proper perspective between real life relationships and the fantasy world of porn."

Peter Liver, director of ChildLine, said children reported that watching porn made them feel depressed, gave them body image issues and put pressure on them to engage in sex acts they are not ready for.


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Source: AAP



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