Research Reveals Child-On-Child Sexual Abuse Directly Linked To Porn
By KC August 25, 2017 May 4th, 2018 No Comments
Young people who had sexually abused other children said that educating them on pornography and sex could have helped prevent their abusive behavior, according to a recent study reported on by Medical Xpress. In a paper recently released by the University of Melbourne, the study's findings represent the rarely-captured voices of young people who had sexually abused other children.
Researchers asked 14 young people what they felt could have prevented them from exhibiting harmful sexual behavior. They also asked six treatment-providing workers to reflect on the insights of the young people. Three main opportunities for prevention emerged, including taking action in the lives of young people to make their home and school relationships safe, reform their sexuality education, and help their understanding of pornography.
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The study's lead author Gemma McKibbin, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Melbourne said that the findings made it clear that more needed to be done in sexual health policy for vulnerable groups of children, and to restrict young people's access to pornography.
"The access that young people are having to pornography, as well as our collective turning a blind eye, is akin to a kind of cultural grooming of children," McKibbin said.
Porn And Abuse
Sexually abusive behavior occurs when a child or young person sexually abuses another child or young person. Previous studies have shown that about half the victims of child-on-child sexual abuse are under the age of six, while the children who abuse others are likely to be aged just 12 years old.
Of the adolescents who participated in the study, 12 said they had been exposed to pornography, while three of the boys directly attributed their sexually abusive behavior to their pornography consumption.
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"We can't, on the one hand, say we don't want to talk with young children about sexuality, while on the other hand do nothing about the multi-billion-dollar pornography industry and the telecommunications industry that is enabling access," McKibbin added.
"It may be that government needs to intervene at this point. Pornography can't be seen as the sole responsibility of parents or schools because it has gone way beyond that. We probably need to engage directly with the pornography industry and the telecommunications industry," she said.
Porn As Sex Education For Kids?
The study participants also highlighted the need to improve sex education as a way to promote respectful sexual relationships and counter the distorted messages they received from pornography.
"Consistent, protective sex education needed to be introduced as soon as children started school, if not before," Ms. McKibbin said.
Study co-authors also included Professor Cathy Humphreys and Dr. Bridget Hamilton from the University of Melbourne.
Related: How Extreme Porn Has Nearly Doubled The Number Of Child-On-Child Sex Crimes
"The effects of child-on-child sexual abuse are negative and far-reaching for the victims as well as the young people who abuse," Prof. Humphreys said.
"We have a great opportunity with the introduction of Respectful Relationships Education in Victorian schools to address the sexually abusive behavior. This report makes a significant contribution to curriculum messages that could be specifically designed to prevent such behavior, and protect our vulnerable young people."
As concerning as this data is about young people and porn, it isn't isolated. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 children aged 11-16, and found that at least half had been exposed to online porn. Of this group, almost all (94%) have seen it by age 14. The organization joined forces with Middlesex University to further study the impact of online porn on kids, in the largest study of its kind.
Unsurprisingly, the effects of watching porn on the young boys was readily apparent. Many boys revealed that they wanted to copy the behavior they had seen watching porn. More than a third (39%) of 13-14 year-olds who responded to this question – and a fifth of 11-12 of year-olds (21%) – wanted to repeat porn acts. The interesting part? These answers came despite more than 3/4 of the kids agreeing that porn didn't help them understand consent.
Related: Parents: If You Don't Teach Your Kids About Sex, Porn Will
One of the most unsettling findings from the NSPCC survey was that over half of the boys (53%) believed that the porn they had seen was realistic. They believed that what they view in porn is an accurate depiction of sex and sexuality. This was in comparison to 39% of girls who believed the same. Many of the young girls surveyed said they were worried about how porn would make boys see girls and the possible impact on attitudes to sex and relationships.
Case studies like these are exactly why we're raising awareness that porn isn't harmless, it isn't healthy, and it isn't acceptable that kids are using it as an "educational" resource for sex. We can do better.
These surveys, both at the University of Melbourne and by the NSPCC, show the massive role porn is playing in the development of young kids these days. And further than their development, porn is influencing their behavior. What they're learning from porn are skewed perceptions of sex and harmful attitudes about their natural sexuality and how to treat others. By being educated and raising awareness on these findings, we can hopefully spare the next generation of the many harms that are sure to come due to this pornification of our society. It's time we stop underestimating the harms of porn and educate those around us.
SHARE these important findings. Let's be the generation that doesn't underestimate the real harms of porn.
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