“I Wasn’t Even Looking For It!” Teen Exposure to Sexual Images.

Readers of this blog may be convinced by now of the negative effect of pornography on the minds and behavior of teens.  I’ve written about it before.  Briefly, here is a partial list of social and interpersonal ills connected to viewing porn: marital instability, divorce, insensitivity to sexual violence in relationships,  earlier sexual debut (first sexual experience),  inaccurate views of “normal” sexual behavior (those viewing more pornography, for instance, believed that over 30% of people engage in group sex), and a host of other warped ideas about relationships.

The Crimes Against Children Research Center found, in a 2005 study, that 66% of teens that had been exposed to pornography had not sought it out.  It came to them. 

Today, I want to give you a nudge to take ACTION to protect your sons and daughters.  There is a free service, called Family Shield, from OpenDNS that I’ve seen mentioned repeatedly as a good place to start in the war against the intrusion of these  damaging images into young minds.  This LINK is to a somewhat “techy” article, but at the bottom it walks you through a “how to” on setting up this internet blocking software for your home.  It also includes a link for Family Shield.  

What about blocking sexual images on your teens’ smart phones?  This article has ideas on how to do that.