Better Digital Parenting 2024 CyberSafeKids - Manual / Resource - Page 18
B e tte r D i g i t al Paren ting
C y b e r Sa fe K i d s
Going Deeper:
Sexting & Pornography
15% of 15-17 year olds have received sexual messages online.*
The sending or receiving of any sexual image
of a minor by anyone is a criminal offence
and young people can fail to recognise
privacy and legal concerns. Images leak
easily online, and although sexual curiosity
and experimentation are a normal part
of growing up, it is important to ask the
question: who will see this in the future?
The sending or receiving of sexual images
– with or without consent – when a minor
is involved can have devastating personal,
emotional and legal consequences for
young people and families.
Young people will come across pornography
when online, and although it may often be
viewed accidentally the first time, 54% of
kids view pornography for first time before
the age of 13, with the average age being
12.** Once your child and their peers are
active online, it is inevitable they will come
across inappropriate content because it’s all
too easy to access and children are curious.
So be prepared. Have the conversation
about topics such as porn, consent and
sexuality, even though it can be tricky.
The key message to get across is that not
everything they see is real. This is important,
otherwise it can lead to a misunderstanding
of what is “normal” behaviour. Check out the
New Zealand government’s ‘Keep it Real’
campaign for inspiration on the importance
of these conversations!
*Ref: NACOS 2021 Going Deeper: Sexting & Pornography Robb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco,
CA: Common Sense. www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2022-teens-and-pornography-final-web.pdf
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