Teens who watch porn are more prone to develop sexually abusive behaviors that turn them into sexual predators. A study has revealed just how crucial sex education is among the young, which could serve as warning to parents.
If teenagers learn sex first from pornography, then its impact could be harmful to how they view the act as they get into relationships. With kids easily having access to sensitive materials online through smartphones and other gadgets, experts said that parents should be more vigilant about where and how their teenagers are learning about sex.
Researchers from the University of Melbourne conducted the study on 14 individuals who have sexually abused other people. Of these, 12 participants confirmed that they were teens who watched porn and three participants admitted to their sexually abusive behavior because of what they have seen from these materials.
"The access that young people are having to pornography, as well as our collective 'turning a blind eye,' is akin to a kind of cultural grooming of children," lead study author Gemma McKibbin said, per The Melbourne Newsroom reports. Teens who watch porn tend to normalize sexually deviant behaviors because no one is telling them that this is not the norm.
The study's findings are not far off as there have already been several researchers on teens who watch porn who develop sexually abusive behaviors, as reported on Addiction. Some experts believe that as technology bombards kids with smut, they are not mature enough to process what they watch. Without someone properly guiding them, the kids thus develop predatory behaviors.
McKibbin recommends having a "consistent, protective sex education" among the young, which starts with the parents even before the children are old enough to go to school. But the experts also said the government should also intervene by coordinating with both porn and telecommunications industry to ensure that pornographic content aren't consumed by minors. Sex education instruction must also be improved in schools.
Parents, what do you think is the best way to handle teens who watch porn? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
