Internet porn: Schools warn of dangers of adolescent ‘addiction’

BOYS as young as 12 are so ­addicted to online porn they can’t make it through the school day without fulfilling their “need” to see explicit images, top teachers and academics have warned.

Children as young as six were exposed to online porn, said research tabled to the inquiry. Picture: iStock

BOYS as young as 12 are so ­addicted to online porn they can’t make it through the school day without fulfilling their “need” to see explicit images, top teachers and academics have warned.

One teacher from an elite Sydney boys high school has compared the scourge to “smoking, alcohol and drugs”.

He warned it was even ­becoming an issue among primary school students.

“I deal with adolescents every day who have an addiction to internet pornography,” Redfield College science teacher David Youl said.

“Many of these young men find it difficult to fulfil their normal daily duties (including school work and spending time with family or friends) due to a ‘need’ to access internet pornography for excessive amounts of time.”

Mr Youl said the issue was also affecting how boys treated girls socially.

“We’ve also seen an increase in the prevalence of primary school students who have accessed porn,” he said.

“They’ve shown it to other students on their phones.”

Research claimed up to 95 per cent of 16-year-old boys were regular users of porn.

Mr Youl — who is one of hundreds of concerned teachers and academics who wrote to a Senate inquiry into the harm internet porn was having on children — said “many parents” were blind to the danger.

“In the same way that parents and governments try to protect children from the ­potential damage caused by smoking, alcohol and drugs, it is imperative the government take steps to minimise the harm that pornography is causing to many young people,” he said.

The Dural school is meeting the crisis head-on by mentoring students and urging parents to ban smartphones until children are in high school.

Mother of three daughters Christine Kuhl was one of many parents who told the Senate inquiry why parents are increasingly concerned.

“I do not know if (my daughters) access pornography online, but I do know boys they may befriend are statistically very likely to,” she said.

“This concerns me a great deal, as I think that it will affect my daughters’ experiences of sex — possibly making it a ­violent experience between adversaries, rather than a beautiful one between equals.”

Research tabled to the inquiry claimed up to 95 per cent of 16-year-old boys were now regular users of porn and children as young as six were exposed to it due to its availability through online devices.

The inquiry was abandoned when parliament dissolved for the federal election. It will be up to the new Senate to decide whether to revive it.

FIVE TIPS FOR PARENTS

1. Limit internet porn exposure for young children.

2. Know what internet filters and apps are available

3. Teach them the importance of safe and unsafe touching.

4. Make sure they know not everything on the internet is safe.

5. Let them know you are available to talk if online material makes them feel unsure.