Our 13-14 yr old Kids are Viewing P*rn!

Research by the University of Alberta.

By Sonya Thompson,

Here is what our 13-14 yr olds are telling researcher Sonya Thompson at the University of Alberta, when she did research on our kids ages 13-14 yrs old.

Accessing sexually explicit media content at least once.

90% boys
70% girls
33% of boys reported viewing pornographic DVDs or videos "too many times to count", 8% for girls said the same.

That means 1 in 3 boys are heavy users of porn and almost 1 in 10 girls.

How are Our 13-14 yr olds getting access?
74% View p*rnography on the Internet.
41% Saw it on video or DVD.
57% Specialty TV channel (Or Satellite Dishes & Cable).
9% Accessed p*rnography because someone over 18 had rented it.
6% Rented it themselves .
20% Viewed it at a friend's house.

In what context is P*rn being viewed by 13-14 yr olds?
“Boys doing the majority of deliberate viewing, and a significant minority planning social time around viewing p*rn with male friends.”

“Most of the online viewings were deliberate. 75% of the boys and almost 50% of the girls surveyed said they had consciously searched for Internet p*rnography.” (FOTF)

“Girls reported more accidental or unwanted exposure online. However, girls tend to view p*rn in same-gender pairs or with mixed groups.” (Girls encourage each other to look in pairs, or groups of girls & boys)

“The media environment …. makes access to p*rn easy for teens and viewing p*rnography at a young age can set children up for problems later on” Sonya Thompson,

“In a few quick years, p*rnography has come out of the sleazy fringe into the mainstream,” Edmonton Journal.

What are parents doing about it?
60 % said their parents had no rules about what kinds of movies they watched,50% said no one bothered to monitor their Internet activity.

“And while the majority of teens surveyed said their parents expressed concern about sexual content, that concern hasn't led to discussion or supervision, and few parents are using available technology to block sexual content.”

“Rural boys also reported a lower incidence of parents talking with them about sexual media content. Urban girls were most likely to have had discussions with their parents.”

50% Rural youth (Country kids) have seen p*rnographic video, 33% of Urban kids have. Thompson is unsure why rural teens access porn more on video and DVD, but suggests that parents may think distance acts as a buffer. "Maybe they have a false sense of thinking they are far away from unhealthy influences."

What should Parents be doing about it?
“Discussion of p*rnography and rules in the home . . . make a difference in kids’ overall access [to porn], particularly for boys,” she said. “There [have] got to be rules and boundaries that are clearly articulated.”

"It indicates there is plenty of room for better parenting around p*rnography use. Parents need to improve dialog with their children and their own awareness level.” Thompson said.

I will personally add Computer filters. They are one piece of the puzzle, but are no substitute for parental monitoring. Remember, if the kids can’t get access at your house, they more than likely will at a friends – So talk to them.

Anyway, I need to go for a walk after this one!

Condensed from: “1 In 3 Boys Heavy Porn Users, Study Shows.” (Link)
“Porn rampant among 13-year-old boys” March 7, 2007 (Link)