Best Practice

PSHE & RSE: The impact of porn on the young

Pastoral issues PSHE Pupil wellbeing
The impact that pornography has on the lives of young people – in particular their knowledge, beliefs and expectations about sex, gender and intimate relationships – is becoming alarmingly clear. Stephanie Enson explores the issue and discusses preventative strategies

With 24/7 availability and direct ease of access via the internet, pornography shapes young people’s sexual expectations and norms like never before.

However, it does so by portraying sex in unrealistic ways and, whether they want to or not, the majority of teens are getting some of their sex education from porn, which offers a warped idea of what sexual intimacy and relationships are really like (Enson, 2017). In addition, over the last decade or so, pornography has become increasingly dominated by themes of aggression, power and control – blurring the lines between consent, pleasure and violence in the process.

“Porn promises immediate satisfaction, endless excitement, and easy intimacy, but in the end, robs you of all three.” (Fight the New Drug, 2017).

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