Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK sounds alarm over child exposure to violent porn

Forty-seven percent said girls “expect” sex to include physical aggression such as airway restriction and slapping, and 42 percent said girls “enjoy” this. Respondents were more likely to think girls enjoy such acts than boys do.

UK sounds alarm over child exposure to violent porn

A UK government-sponsored report on Tuesday sounded the alarm over children viewing violent pornography, warning that as a result they may expect sex to include acts such as strangulation.

The report from Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza found 10 percent of children had seen pornography by the age of nine and 79 percent had seen violent pornography "depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts" by the age of 18.


The survey was carried out late last year among 1,014 people aged from 16 to 21 living in England.

Forty-seven percent said girls "expect" sex to include physical aggression such as airway restriction and slapping, and 42 percent said girls "enjoy" this. Respondents were more likely to think girls enjoy such acts than boys do.

Among the respondents aged over 18, 47 percent said they had experienced a violent sexual act.

"A lot of online pornography can be unrealistic and some of it is rape content, so young people may think this is okay and realistic," an 18-year-old girl was quoted as saying.

The report stresses that the content children can view now bears no comparison to what their parents' generation could access only in top-shelf magazines.

It argues that among young people, "pornography plays a key role in normalising and condoning sexual violence against women".

The report is released as lawmakers consider an Online Safety Bill to introduce stricter age controls to stop under-18s seeing adult content.

Moral compass? -

The children's commissioner backs the legislation, while saying it "will not be a 'silver bullet'". She lambasted websites for not introducing such controls earlier.

"Parents really can't stop the tide of this stuff on social media. It's the tech firms that need to step up and do this," de Souza told the BBC.

"The online safety bill will force them to do it. But frankly, these are multi-billion pound companies, they should be having a moral compass and doing this now and they perfectly well can."

The report found children were most likely to access porn on mainstream social media rather than dedicated adult porn sites.

Twitter was the most common source, with 41 percent saying they had seen it on the site, whose sign-up age is 13. Instagram and Snapchat were also cited.

Parents were "often unaware that violent and degrading content can be found so quickly and easily on the internet".

The report focused on the effects of children viewing pornography.

Early exposure, aged 11 or younger, makes boys more likely to become frequent viewers.

And it often "significantly increased the likelihood of viewing sexually violent content" later.

(AFP)

More For You

modi-bjp-reuters

BJP supporters celebrate in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

Modi's BJP wins Delhi assembly election after 27 years

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that "development had won" as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in Delhi’s local elections, ending a 27-year gap since it last controlled the capital’s legislature.

"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after Delhi’s former chief minister, a key opposition leader, conceded defeat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uganda-high-commission-event

The event also focused on Uganda’s role in cultural diplomacy and sustainable development.

Uganda high commission hosts heritage event in London

THE UGANDA high commission in London hosted an event highlighting Uganda’s cultural heritage and investment opportunities at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Building. The event featured a performance by the Watoto Children’s Choir.

Uganda’s high commissioner to the UK, Nimisha J Madhvani, addressed the gathering, welcoming guests and speaking about the country’s cultural diversity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Maha-kumbh-pilgrims-reuters

Devotees arrive at the river bank to take a holy dip at Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India on January 28, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

India says 420 million pilgrims have visited Maha Kumbh

INDIA’s government announced on Friday that more than 420 million pilgrims have taken part in ritual bathing at the Maha Kumbh, a Hindu religious festival.

Organisers say the estimate is based on artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras used to track attendance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bird-flu-Getty

There have been 27 confirmed cases of bird flu in England and one in Scotland during the current outbreak. (Representational image: Getty Images)

England bans 'bird gatherings' to contain avian flu spread

THE GOVERNMENT has announced a ban on "bird gatherings" in England as part of efforts to contain the spread of avian influenza.

The ban, which comes into effect from midday on Monday, will apply to fairs, markets, and shows involving various bird species.

Keep ReadingShow less
Matt-Jukes-Getty

Matt Jukes, the UK’s head of counterterrorism, has called for a social media ban for children under 16. (Photo: Getty Images)

Nine-year-old among youngest referred for far-right deradicalisation

A UK charity working to counter far-right radicalisation has seen children as young as nine referred for support.

Exit Hate UK, which helps individuals leave extremist movements, said its youngest-ever referral was nine years old, with the average age of those seeking help being about 15, according to The Times.

Keep ReadingShow less