This webinar was held on 26 January 2025. You can view the recording here:
Shockingly the average age most children in the UK come into contact with online pornography is 13, with 10 per cent having seen it by age 9, and 27 per cent by age 11 (Children’s Commissioner, 2023).
Crucially the images these children are viewing are not the softcore pictures their parents may remember from the 80s and 90s. 45 per cent of scenes on Pornhub contain one or more acts of aggression – such as spanking, gagging, slapping, hair pulling, and choking – the overwhelming majority of which are directed at women (Fritz et al, 2020).
In this milieu, how can we bring up children to form healthy relationships, set appropriate boundaries and speak up about abuse?
This workshop was aimed at anyone who cares for, or works with, children and young people. It suggested practical strategies for:
- Having age-appropriate conversations about pornography and the sex trade.
- Encouraging children and young people to speak up if they feel unsafe.
- Supporting children and young people to recognise the harms of pornography and the sex trade.
Helen McDonald has worked with children and young people for over 20 years, as a teacher, an advocate, and now as a therapist. She has extensive experience of working with children and young people subjected to sexual violence, as well as facilitating sessions with children and young people on issues of consent in relationships and the impacts of pornography. Helen has created resources to be used by school staff to approach issues of consent and to help them to support young survivors of sexual violence in school. You can contact her through her website.
Emily Husain is a civil barrister and feminist who has volunteered with women’s organisations and groups addressing violence against women for several years. Emily has a particular interest in the domestic and international legislative framework surrounding prostitution and she joined NMN in 2023. Emily will act as moderator.
Resources
The following organisations were mentioned or recommended in the webinar: