Porn and YouthStatistics: Youth & Porn (older archives available here)

  • Internet pornography has become sex education for many children.  "Particularly among younger children, exposure to pornography may be disturbing or upsetting…pornography is a poor, and indeed dangerous, sex educator." (Child Abuse Review -- 2009). 
  • The exposure of children to internet pornography is having impact on the development of harmful sexual behaviors.  The average age of first perpetration of sexual violence is 15 -16 and is associated with exposure to pornography (Prevention Science - 2017).
  • More and younger children are accessing internet pornography.  The average age of first exposure is 11 (Randel and Sanchez, "Huffington Post" - 2016).  However, "children under 10 now account for 22% of online porn consumption under 18" (British Journal of School Nursing.) 
  •  A 2016 meta-analysis of pornography research reveals adolescent pornography consumption is significantly associated with stronger gender-stereotypical sexual beliefs, earlier sexual debut, increased casual sex behavior, and increased sexual aggression both as perpetrators and victims 
    (Peter J, Valkenburg P M. Adolescents and pornography: a review of 20 years of research. J of Sex Research. 2016; 53(4-5), 509-531.)

Of sexually explicit content produced children aged 15 years of younger:

  • 85.9% of content was created using a webcam
  • 93.1% of content featured young girls
  • 89.9% of the total images and videos were distributed on third party websites.
    Internet Watch Foundation. (2015) “Emerging Patterns and Trends Report #1: Youth-Produced Sexual Content.” Internet Watch Foundation, in partnership with Microsoft.
  • 32% of teens admit to intentionally accessing nude or pornographic content online. Of these, 43% do so on a weekly basis.
    TruResearch (2012) Covenent Eyes 2015 Pornography Statistics. [Accessed 29th December 2015] http://www.covenanteyes.com/lemonade/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2015-porn-stats-covenant-eyes.pdf
  • Only 12% of parents know their teens are accessing pornography. TruResearch (2012) Covenent Eyes 2015 Pornography Statistics.
    [Accessed 29th December 2015] http://www.covenanteyes.com/lemonade/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2015-porn-stats-covenant-eyes.pdf
  • Among youth 12–years to 14–years, 88% in the United States used the Internet.
    [26] “2008 World Internet Project survey of 13 countries revealed that among youth 12–years to 14–years, 88% in the United States used the Internet,” http://www.cdmc.ucla.edu/KS_Media_biblio_files/ Guan & Subrahmanyam 2009.pdf (accessed June 6, 2014 ).
  • 93.2% of boys and 62.1% of girls have seen online pornography before age 18.
    (http://www.familysafemedia.com/pornography_statistics.html - accessed June 6, 2014).
  • The mean age of first exposure to Internet pornography is 14.8(girls) and 14.3 (boys). [28] Chiara Sabina, Janis Wolak, and David Finkelhor, “The Nature and Dynamics of Internet Pornography Exposure for Youth,” CyberPsychology & Behavior 11, no. 6 (December 2008): 691-693. “The current study used an online survey to question a convenience sample of college students about experiences with online pornography before age 18. . . . Overall, 72.8% of participants. . . . Most exposure began when youth were ages 14-17, and boys were significantly more likely to view online pornography more often and to view more types of images. . . .Girls were significantly more likely than boys . . . to report never looking for pornography on purpose. . . .” (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/cpb.2007.0179 - accessed June 6, 2014).
  • At least 44,000 primary school children and 473,000 children between ages of 6 and 17 accessed an adult website, mostly offshore, in the month of December 2013 from a computer. (http://www.atvod.co.uk/news–consultations/news–consultationsnews/Atvod–publishes–research–showing–scale–of–underage–access–to–adult–websites (accessed June 6, 2014). The AVTOD Association for Television on Demand) research tracked the actions of youth using the internet from a desktop or laptop in December 2013. The research did not track youth accessing Internet pornography from smart phones. Most of the major offshore adult services are unregulated and allow free, unrestricted access to hard core porno to visitors of any age, including children. This includes 23 of the 25 adult websites most commonly accessed from the UK.)
  • Teens are at a great risk of developing a pornography addiction as their brains are still developing.
    Riemersma J. & Sytsma M. “A New Generation of Sexual Addiction.” Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity, 2013 Oct; 20(4): 306-322, at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/usac/2013/00000020/00000004/art00006?crawler=true

Of an online sexual imagery survey, 97% of boys had viewed pornography.

Of an online sexual imagery survey, 80% of girls aged 16-20 had watched pornography.

Weekly pornography viewing is significantly associated with inconsistent condom use with casual partners, engaging in anal intercourse and sexting.
Tracy Parish, “Studies shed light on sexual behavior of teenagers,” Burnet Institute, 10/9/14, at http://www.burnet.edu.au/news/435_burnet_studies_shed_light_on_sexual_behaviour_of_teenagers

Eight out of ten 18 year olds think it is too easy for young people to accidentally see pornography online.
Tracy Parish, “Studies shed light on sexual behavior of teenagers,” Burnet Institute, 10/9/14, at http://www.burnet.edu.au/news/435_burnet_studies_shed_light_on_sexual_behaviour_of_teenagers

  • Almost half (46%) of teenagers say “sending sexual or naked photos or videos is part of everyday life for teenagers nowadays.”
  • Seven out of 10 (72%) 18 year olds say “pornography leads to unrealistic attitudes to sex” and that “pornography can have a damaging impact on young people’s views of sex or relationships.”
  • Two thirds of young women (66%) and almost half of young men (49%) agree, “it would be easier growing up if pornography was less easy to access…”
  • In 2008, more than 560 college student responded to an online survey:
    -93% of boys and 62% of girls were exposed to pornography before 18.
    -14% of boys and 9% of girls were exposed to pornography before 13.
    -69% of boys and 23% of girls have spent at least 30 consecutive minutes viewing Internet pornography on at least one occasion.
    -63% of boys have done so more than once, and 35% of boys have done so on more than 10 occasions.
    -83% of boys and 57% of girls have seen group sex online.
    -69% of boys and 55% of girls have seen same-sex intercourse online.
    -39% of boys and 23% of girls have seen sexual bondage online.
    -32% of boys and 18% of girls have seen bestiality online.
    -18% of boys and 10% of girls have seen rape or sexual violence online.
    -15% of boys and 9% of girls have seen child pornography.
    Chiara Sabina, Janis Wolak, and David Finkelhor, “The nature and dynamics of Internet pornography exposure for youth,” CyberPsychology and Behavior 11 (2008): 691-693.