Porn as children’s moral education

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 15 Sep 2013.

Those of us concerned about placing limits on offensive internet content could learn from recent developments in the United Kingdom.

A submission paper by the Children’s Commissioner for England admitted that children were being harmed by easy access to internet pornography, but expressed doubt as to the wisdom of shielding children from such content.  The paper referred to

emerging evidence indicating that young people are dissatisfied with the sex education they are receiving [in schools and] are increasingly drawing on pornography, expecting it to educate and give information regarding sexual practices and norms.

Simon Blake, chief executive of one of Britain’s largest “sexual health” charities, claimed that young people may only get the sex education they need via porn.  The provision of optional blockers to violent and sexually explicit content, so the argument goes, would do more harm than good.

But the porn industry is not in the business of moral education.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.