Exposure to
pornography often leads to STDs, unplanned pregnancies, and sexual
addiction in children as young as 10 to 11 years old.
The trend is clear: sex without responsibility is becoming acceptable and, worse, desirable. This in itself endangers children's healthy development and emotional well-being.
Recent findings also reveal that "males who are exposed to a great deal of erotica before the age of 14 are more sexually active and engage in more varied sexual behaviors as adults than is true for males not so exposed."[5] Another wide-ranging study shows that among 932 sex addicts, 90% of the males and 77% of the females reported that pornography was part of their addiction.[6]
Finally, pornographic exposure may cause children to make sexual advances towards other children. Sexually deviant children have not necessarily been molested. They may have simply been exposed to explicit sexuality through pornography.[7]
Internet pornography leads to reckless experimentation with sex
Researcher Dr. Jennings Bryant conducted a comprehensive study of 600 third year high school students and discovered 91% of the boys and 82% of the girls confirmed exposure to explicit, hard core porn. Almost 7 in 10 of the boys and 4 in 10 of the girls admitted wanting to try some of the sexual activities they had learned from the X-rated material. Nearly 1/3 of the boys and 1/5 of the girls reported they had tried some of what they'd seen soon after the pornographic experience. [8]
"Most pornography will find children before they ever search for it. Research says that talking to children about the dangers of pornography makes them less likely to become addicted to it. Talking about and establishing Internet rules and boundaries is more important now than ever before," advises Danielle Tiano, author of the popular series of "Temptation" books educating parents about the dangers their children face from Internet pornography.
Tiano also warns about cell phones that parents are supplying to their children at younger and younger ages: "Most cell phones are equipped with Internet access, texting and camera capabilities, which enable kids to have constant access to information both helpful and inappropriate; and constant contact with peers and strangers. Most kids communicate in a teen text lingo that consists of abbreviations and acronyms such as KPC (keep parents clueless), POS (parent over shoulder), and ASL (age, sex, location)."
The dangers of cell phone sexting
Allison Tong, a researcher into the phenomenon of sexting reveals that "It's much more common for children, tweens and teens to have a cell phones--a recent survey found that 78% of teens have a cell phone while 15% have a phone with Internet access. And because communication has become so easy with functions like SMS text messaging (which are usually already installed on phones now), there are more windows open for dangerous activity such as sexting. This new epidemic is becoming trendier among tweens and teens. Sexting is sending a text message with photos of children or teens that are inappropriate, naked or engaged in sex acts. What's shocking is about 20 percent of teen boys and girls have sent such messages, according to a recent nationwide survey by the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy."
Karen Child Ogden, M.A., a licensed marriage and family therapist in Costa Mesa, California is a contributor to the "Temptation" series written by Danielle Tiano. Ogden emphasizes that sexting is "not just an innocent thing." She urges parents to get more involved in their kid's activities--especially the media and communications technology. She maintains that communication with children about the sexual side of the Internet and cell phones, I-Pods, Blackberries and other devices, and their consequences, should start as early as 8-years old.
The American Academy of Pediatrics have 5 tips on helping your children make wise choices:
à ‚¬ "Talk to your kids and ask, "Have you heard of sexting? Can you tell me what you think it is?"
à ‚¬ It's important to first learn their understanding is of the issue and explain it in terms appropriate for their age.
à ‚¬ For younger children with cell phones who do not know about sex, tell them text messages should never contain pictures of people (kids or adults) without their clothes on, kissing or touching each other in ways that they've never seen before. With older children, you may want to use the term "sexting" and give specifics about sex acts they may know about. For teens, be very specific that sexting usually involves pictures of a sexual nature and it's considered pornography.
à ‚¬ Make sure they understand that sexting is serious and can be considered a crime. Impress upon them there are consequences associated with sexting that may involve the police and suspension or expulsion from school.
The trend is clear: sex without responsibility is becoming acceptable and, worse, desirable. This in itself endangers children's healthy development and emotional well-being.
Recent findings also reveal that "males who are exposed to a great deal of erotica before the age of 14 are more sexually active and engage in more varied sexual behaviors as adults than is true for males not so exposed."[5] Another wide-ranging study shows that among 932 sex addicts, 90% of the males and 77% of the females reported that pornography was part of their addiction.[6]
Finally, pornographic exposure may cause children to make sexual advances towards other children. Sexually deviant children have not necessarily been molested. They may have simply been exposed to explicit sexuality through pornography.[7]
Researcher Dr. Jennings Bryant conducted a comprehensive study of 600 third year high school students and discovered 91% of the boys and 82% of the girls confirmed exposure to explicit, hard core porn. Almost 7 in 10 of the boys and 4 in 10 of the girls admitted wanting to try some of the sexual activities they had learned from the X-rated material. Nearly 1/3 of the boys and 1/5 of the girls reported they had tried some of what they'd seen soon after the pornographic experience. [8]
"Most pornography will find children before they ever search for it. Research says that talking to children about the dangers of pornography makes them less likely to become addicted to it. Talking about and establishing Internet rules and boundaries is more important now than ever before," advises Danielle Tiano, author of the popular series of "Temptation" books educating parents about the dangers their children face from Internet pornography.
Tiano also warns about cell phones that parents are supplying to their children at younger and younger ages: "Most cell phones are equipped with Internet access, texting and camera capabilities, which enable kids to have constant access to information both helpful and inappropriate; and constant contact with peers and strangers. Most kids communicate in a teen text lingo that consists of abbreviations and acronyms such as KPC (keep parents clueless), POS (parent over shoulder), and ASL (age, sex, location)."
The dangers of cell phone sexting
Allison Tong, a researcher into the phenomenon of sexting reveals that "It's much more common for children, tweens and teens to have a cell phones--a recent survey found that 78% of teens have a cell phone while 15% have a phone with Internet access. And because communication has become so easy with functions like SMS text messaging (which are usually already installed on phones now), there are more windows open for dangerous activity such as sexting. This new epidemic is becoming trendier among tweens and teens. Sexting is sending a text message with photos of children or teens that are inappropriate, naked or engaged in sex acts. What's shocking is about 20 percent of teen boys and girls have sent such messages, according to a recent nationwide survey by the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy."
Karen Child Ogden, M.A., a licensed marriage and family therapist in Costa Mesa, California is a contributor to the "Temptation" series written by Danielle Tiano. Ogden emphasizes that sexting is "not just an innocent thing." She urges parents to get more involved in their kid's activities--especially the media and communications technology. She maintains that communication with children about the sexual side of the Internet and cell phones, I-Pods, Blackberries and other devices, and their consequences, should start as early as 8-years old.
The American Academy of Pediatrics have 5 tips on helping your children make wise choices:
à ‚¬ "Talk to your kids and ask, "Have you heard of sexting? Can you tell me what you think it is?"
à ‚¬ It's important to first learn their understanding is of the issue and explain it in terms appropriate for their age.
à ‚¬ For younger children with cell phones who do not know about sex, tell them text messages should never contain pictures of people (kids or adults) without their clothes on, kissing or touching each other in ways that they've never seen before. With older children, you may want to use the term "sexting" and give specifics about sex acts they may know about. For teens, be very specific that sexting usually involves pictures of a sexual nature and it's considered pornography.
à ‚¬ Make sure they understand that sexting is serious and can be considered a crime. Impress upon them there are consequences associated with sexting that may involve the police and suspension or expulsion from school.
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