What to Do If Your Child Is Watching Porn? 2024
Child’s exposure to pornography has become one of the top concerns of parents. At present, there are at least 4.5 million pornographic websites on the Internet, and 50% of children aged 11 to 13, 65% of children aged 14 to 15, and 78% of children aged 16 to 17 have viewed pornography. So, what to do if your child is watching porn? We will discuss the dangers of pornography for children and how to talk about it with your children in this article.
3 Negative Effects of Pornography on Child
Children can be harmed by pornographic content. When exposed to pornography at an early age, children may experience poor mental health, sexism and objectification, sexual violence, and other negative outcomes. It is also possible that children can come to accept abusive and misogynistic behavior as normal when viewing pornography depicting these acts. So, how does pornography harm children?
Porn Addict
Addiction can be explained simply as an activity that was once enjoyable that eventually became a necessity. Pornographic materials can lead to addiction in children and youth. A child can become addicted to watching pornography if they are allowed to watch it completely uncontrollably. Research shows that people with one addiction are more likely to develop another. When your child is addicted to porn, they are more likely to become addicted to drugs, stimulants, and other disorders.
Sexual Harm is Normalized by Pornographic Content
In pornography, violence and rape are normalized because of the lack of intimacy between partners. And children are more influenced by what they see, so they will think that porn materials represent normal intimate behavior. This perception can affect their worldview, which may increase their likelihood of engaging in risky behavior.
Children who watch pornography are aggressive toward women
Most popular pornography contains aggression and violence against women, which can teach your children (especially boys) that violence against women is socially acceptable. After watching pornography for a while, your child loses their sensitivity and empathy for women, instead seeing them as sexual instruments. It is evident in porn films where male actors exhibit so little sympathy for women that sexual abuse is routine.
4 Mistakes Parents Make When They Discover Their Child is Watching Porn
It is upsetting to learn your young child was exposed to pornography. Despite the fact that you cannot change what your children see, you can help turn a bad thing into a chance to engage with them and form a deeper connection with them.
The following are 4 critical things you should never do if you discover that your child has been viewing pornography.
Take Away the Devices
Whenever you discover that your children are exposed to pornography, you immediately confiscate their mobile phones and block websites or programs. You thought it would keep them safe from pornography. In fact, cutting off contact will only make children hide their true feelings.
Ignoring the Issue
Despite knowing their child has seen pornography, parents sometimes fail to talk to them. Some parents believe that pornography is a part of growing up and learning about sexuality. Others are afraid of what they will say or how their children will react because they don’t know what to say.
Talking to the child about these topics can be difficult. But children need their parents to unravel those harmful images and explain why they are unrealistic, disrespectful, and manipulative. That is why you want to talk about it immediately if your child watches porn.
Don’t Shame Your Child For Viewing Porn
Some parents may feel it is shameful for their children to watch porn sites. So they say, “I can’t believe you did this!” “I’m so disappointed in you; this is only for bad boys!” and so on. These words will make children silent and have low self-esteem.
Have A “One-And-Done” Conversation About Porn Addiction
In the face of porn experiences, one conversation can never be enough to resolve the problem. Many parents believe their children will never watch porn again once they are caught. But this is not the case. You need to keep track of the children’s situation, communicate with them frequently, and help them get rid of porn addiction step by step.
What to do if your child watches pornography
There is no doubt that pornography is viewed by children more frequently due to the widespread use of mobile phones. This can be a difficult situation to handle, but it’s important to remain calm and address the issue in a constructive manner. You can talk to your child and find out what they have seen and how they feel about it. It’s important to reassure them that they are not in trouble and that you are there to help them. You should also explain why pornography is not appropriate for children and the potential risks associated with it. It’s also a good idea to set boundaries and rules around internet use, including parental controls and monitoring. Remember, the key is to approach the situation with understanding, empathy, and a focus on education and prevention.
Do Not React Immediately
If you discover that your children are watching porn secretly, you should not react immediately. You must stay calm, discuss a reasonable solution to the problem with your spouse, and then find an appropriate time to discuss pornography with your children.
Don’t Take Away Their Devices.
When children are viewing pornography on android phones, taking the device away can make children feel punished at that moment. Problems still need to be solved. Therefore, you must remain calm and communicate with our children frankly.
Don’t Shame Them for Viewing Porn
You might be embarrassed to talk about pornography with children, but you can’t shame our children anyway. Because “sexual curiosity” is a natural part of a child’s development. Instead of making them feel they have done something wrong, you should deal with the problem calmly. Only in this way will children be willing to communicate with us when they encounter trouble in the future.
Discuss the Potential Dangers of Watching Porn.
It is important to explain to your child why porn can be negative for them. For some families, this means saying that pornography violates their morals or values. However, for other families, discussing pornography will simply mean educating children on how it skews their views on sexuality. In addition, you can discuss how porn perpetuates sexist views, particularly regarding the treatment of women.
Use Parental Control Apps to Filter Porn
Parental Control App allows you to monitor phone activities and protect your kids from online dangers and cyberbullying. With the help of iKeyMonitor Parental Control App, you can protect your child from the harmful effects of porn content. iKeyMonitor offers a range of features that allow you to filter out explicit content, restrict access to certain websites, and monitor your child’s online activity. In addition, you can also set up customized filters that block access to porn content and receive alerts when your child attempts to access prohibited websites. By using iKeyMonitor, you can have peace of mind knowing that your child is safe from the dangers of porn content on the internet.
By installing parental control programs on children’s mobile phones, you can:
- Find out which porn sites they have visited.
- Know whether they have installed porn apps on their phones.
- Find out if they have watched porn images/videos.
- Know their exact location and prevent them from being exposed to online predators.
If you had a perfect world, you would have talked to your children early about sex and intimacy. And you may not have planned to discuss pornography. But the reality is not a fairy tale. When you find your children are viewing pornographic content accidentally, you need to know the negative effects of pornography and understand what mistakes you can’t make. By getting some communication tips, you can have a healthy conversation about intimate topics with your children.
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Category: Parental Control Tips