Alamy
Whether we like it or not children are being exposed to pornography online. With the ever easier online access through smart phones and computers, more and more children are seeing pornographic images, either by choice or by accident.
A recent survey of 9-19 year olds' online activities conducted by the London School of Economics found that more than half of teens (57 visited a porn website on purpose, in contrast to 36 thought it was disgusting, just 7% admit to enjoying it and the majority surveyed say they didn't think too much about it.
But as parents how do we deal with this taboo subject with our children? Talking about sex with your children can be a tricky minefield on both sides. Parents feel concerned and protective, and many teens find it uncomfortable and embarrassing talking about sex and relationships with their parents. However it's important as parents to keep the communication channels open about sex and relationships.
Parentchannel.tv has launched a video clip which offers advice and tips from experts about how to talk about porn with kids.
Tips for Action:
- Talk informally with your teen
- Provide them with any sexual information they feel they might be missing
- Don't panic
- Shield younger children in the home from accessing the sites
- Watch out for any excessive time alone (or addiction to porn) and encourage other activities
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