NSPCC to launch campaign on impact of online pornography on children and young people in Plymouth

A major new campaign to raise awareness about the experiences and impacts of online pornography on young people will be launched in Plymouth this week.

The NSPCC is leading the project which is part of the children’s charity’s Together for Childhood programme. The Online Harm Campaign is supported by Plymouth City Council, Devon and Cornwall Police and local schools to address the impact that pornography is having on young people in the city.

Earlier this year the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza reported that half of young people have seen pornography by the age of 13, with more than a quarter (27%) reporting exposure by the age of 11 and 10% by the age of nine. The report also revealed that 38% of young people said they had seen pornography accidentally. In addition 79% of young people had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18. 

Other research has found that on average, boys are viewing pornography for the first time three years before their first sexual relationships and girls two years before their first sexual relationship. 

The NSPCC-run Childline service reports that many young people regard pornography as a normal part of adolescence; some said that they watched porn to learn more about sex or to make sense of their own sexuality. ***

Yet, a survey carried out by the NSPCC and NASUWT revealed that 46% of secondary school teachers say they don’t feel confident teaching sex and relationships education; and that 40% of secondary school teachers don’t feel confident delivering lessons on pornography. ****

By launching its Online Harm Campaign, the NSPCC is aiming to raise awareness of the impact of online pornography on children in Plymouth and to encourage parents, schools and professionals to start the conversation with young people about the issue.

The campaign will have a particular focus on raising young people’s critical awareness about pornography and adults’ confidence to support, educate and help reduce its impact on both current and future generations.

Emma Motherwell, Local Campaigns Manager for the NSPCC in the South West, said: “When speaking to both young people and adults we have been told that they find it hard to talk about the subject of pornography and that it is impacting children earlier in life. We want to kick-start this conversation between children, young people, parents and adults who work with them and providing them the support that they need so that we can help to reduce the negative impact that it has on young people.

“We want to thank all those in Plymouth who have given their support to this campaign – the partnership approach we have taken to this is a key to ensuring that we can change attitudes and make a practical difference which will help children and young people in the city both now and in the future.”

The launch event this week (October 18) will feature a panel discussion at City College in Plymouth which will feature international expert Maree Crabbe, a leading voice on sexual violence prevention and pornography.

The NSPCC was keen to ensure that young people in Plymouth had a voice in the campaign and played an active role in the development of the programme and shaped it with their own experiences.

A professional theatre company has been working with students from schools in Plymouth to develop a new drama which will be performed to students in Years 7 and 8 in the city to help raise awareness of the impact and harm of online pornography.

The launch event on Wednesday (October 18) at City College in Plymouth will feature a panel discussion with international expert Maree Crabbe, a leading voice on sexual violence prevention and pornography.

Maree Crabbe said: “Porn makes an emphatic and substantial contribution to an insidious kind of ‘cultural wallpaper’ that normalises and, indeed, eroticises, violence against women.

“Porn’s pervasiveness is unprecedented. It can be more difficult to avoid porn than to see it – thanks, in part, to the industry’s aggressive marketing strategies. Porn sites now account for 3 of the world’s 14 most viewed websites, and pornography is responsible for an astonishing 30% of the internet’s carbon footprint.”

Other speakers at the launch event will include Professor Andy Phippen, Digital Rights expert from Bournemouth University; Sofia Elliott, Plymouth Member of Youth Parliament; and representatives from the NSPCC, Plymouth City Council and the Plymouth Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Commission.

A workshop, led by Maree Crabbe, will be held on Thursday (Oct19) for professionals in the city to help give them the tools, resources and knowledge required so that they can have the confidence to engage in open and honest conversations about online pornography and its impact.

Plymouth city councillor Zoe Reilly, Violence Against Women and Girls Champion, said: “I really welcome this campaign. It is very important for young people to be aware of the many risks of being online and particularly if they are exposed to inappropriate content.

“How young people interact with others and engage with online content can impact their lives and future. This campaign will help young people understand the importance of learning about this topic and how their behaviours online can influence others. I am passionate about raising awareness of violence against women and girls and this campaign supports this.”