Young people are encountering porn at a younger age than ever, a new report from Our Watch has found. According to the study, the average age a young person is watching porn has dropped to 13.6.
Almost three quarters of participants also claimed that the porn they were watching often showed aggression and violence towards women. More than a half of the surveyed young men who watch porn report consuming it at least once a week, while one in five female viewers consumed it at the same rate.
Thirty-one per cent of the 832 Australians interviewed claimed to use porn in order to learn about sex, despite recognising the dangers of this form of ‘education.’
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly said the report indicates an urgent need for young people to receive clear guidance and education about porn and the violence against women it frequently depicts.
“Generations of young people are now growing up with greater access to porn, and it is porn that frequently shows abusive acts towards women,” Kinnersly said, highlighting the potential negative influence it can have on how young people understand sex, gender and relationships. The study found that 79 per cent of participants believed that porn impacts how women are viewed and treated in real life.
“Research shows that violent porn can reinforce gender stereotypes and beliefs, which can lead to disturbing attitudes and violence towards women,” Kinnersly explained.
“It is concerning that online porn overwhelmingly portrays women as submissive, while men are shown as aggressive, controlling and dominant…, more than half of women aged 18 to 35 report being strangled during sex at least once.”
The latest study conducted by the national violence prevention organisation also found that 84 per cent of surveyed young people believe that porn pushes stereotypes of what is expected of men and women in sex, while 69 per cent said they believed it was harmful.
The data supports broader research which has found the disturbing prevalence of harmful gender stereotypes and violence against women in porn. Various studies around the world have found that the overwhelming majority of porn on popular platforms depict some sort of violence or abuse against women.
Elsewhere, studies have shown that men and boys who consume pornography are more likely than other boys to perpetrate sexual violence. Pornography has been found to feature prominently in the accounts of women who experienced Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV).
The Man Box paper, released this year, found that 50 per cent of surveyed young men who consumed porn reported watching videos where a male submits a female to physically violent acts, including pushing or shoving, pulling hair, spanking, gagging, choking, slapping, kicking, punching, bondage or restraint, or rape.
The latest report from Our Watch highlights the concerning level of disrespect represented against marginalised, vulnerable members of the community — especially women.
“Porn may be a fantasy, but it has real-life impacts,” Kinnersly said. “Young men and boys who frequently use porn are more likely to blame a woman for abuse, while acts such as sexual “choking” or strangulation commonly depicted in porn, have become mainstream.”
The organisation is calling for better education for young people, warning that violent pornography can impact the way young people conduct themselves and treat others in real life.
“Two in five young people say that current education about sexuality and relationships does not meet their needs,” Kinnersly said. “Young people need safe and honest discussions to help them think critically about the portrayal of gender roles and relationships in porn, as well as the potential impact it has in their lives.”
“Respectful Relationships education needs to be a part of every school in the country and age-appropriate discussions on porn must be taught alongside consent, gender and preventing violence.”
Our Watch outlined key recommendations to prevent the potential negative impact of porn on young people, including the integration of porn-use into age-appropriate respectful relationship education, professional development for teachers on the issue of pornography and providing resources and training for professionals who work with young people, such as youth workers.