Porn and Online Safety

Pornography, or porn for short, has been around for millennia if we consider the erotic images drawn on the walls of brothels and on vases. For most of us though, in the 21st century, porn is something that we can easily access for free on the internet.

This wasn't always the case though as porn of the 20th century took some effort. This meant sneaking around trying to find a magazine under an older sibling or parent's bed, or if over 18, hurrying behind a curtain at the video store, making your selection, and then fronting the person at the till asking if you want popcorn with that.

It is easy to see how porn has taken off since going online, with speed and accessibility making porn more available than ever before. This also means an evolution of the type of content that can be viewed.

We don't want to sell to you that porn in either good or bad, rather, we want you to be able to explore your feelings on the subject and recognise the role that porn may play in a young person's life.

Porn is created for adult entertainment.  However, we know many young people are accessing it for a variety of reasons. These reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• wanting to learn more about sex.
• wanting to see how their body (and more likely specific parts) compares to others.
• wanting to validate their experiences that may not be as apparent in mainstream media (in particular some LGBTQIA+ young people).
• curiosity.

Young people don't typically search out porn to learn bad habits, instead, after consumption they may sometimes take away the wrong messages.  Take for instance power dynamics. In a significant amount of porn there is often a power imbalance where ‘males’ are the ones pleasured, while ‘females’ are the ones doing the pleasuring. They may also see sexual aggression, which again is usually towards women. It is also rare in porn for scenes to include actors seeking consent or using condoms.

When we put all this together, we can certainly see how this could potentially impact on the way relationships are viewed, how consent is understood, and what is ‘normal’ in the bedroom…or office, hospital, etc.

Nude photos are another piece of the porn puzzle that needs mentioning. Sometimes when a person sends a nude photo of themself or allows photos to be taken of them by a partner, they are used to hurt someone or exploit them (revenge porn). This relates to the power imbalance that is often seen in porn and in some relationships.

With all that being said, the consumption of porn and the sending or asking for nudes are personal choices. For some people seeking to affirm themselves, porn can be the first time that they recognise that there are others out there just like them. Porn can also sometimes be used to enhance relationships.

Viewing porn under the age of 18 is not technically illegal (unless the participants in the image or video are minors), however uploading any images or videos of underage people is illegal. As youth workers, it is important to be aware of this and support young people to make informed decisions that prioritise their safety.