New educational resources looking at pornography online launching soon
Created by Childnet as part of its work in the UK Safer Internet Centre and launching on the 29th April, the new ‘Myth vs Reality’ resources is a practical PSHE toolkit covering the issues of online pornography, healthy relationships and body image.
Age-verification for online pornography
It was announced today that the new age-verification laws will be coming into effect in July 2019.
Childnet Chief Executive Will Gardner said:
‘We hope that the introduction of this age-verification will help in protecting children, making it harder for young people to accidentally come across online pornography, as well as bringing in the same protections that we use offline to protect children from age-restricted goods or services.
Talking to children is vital and education has a major part to play here, and we need to ensure all young people are given a platform to discuss the pressures they face online and have the skills to spot and understand the gap between perception and reality. We are releasing a new extended PSHE toolkit later this month to address the issue of online pornography along with related topics of body image and healthy relationships.
We know that conversations with young people, parents and carers and teachers are paramount to giving children the information, support and skills that they need.’
Myth vs Reality
Designed to be used with young people aged 11-14, the new online pornography lesson plan encourages students to consider what myths are portrayed through pornography and how this could impact on how a young person feels about their bodies, relationships and gender roles.
The resources were piloted with groups of young people in the UK, where one 14 year old said:
‘I think its very important because we can all discuss it as a class and it makes us understand more about the dangers and pressures of today’s society’.
On the 29th April the resource will be available for free at www.childnet.com/resources/pshe-toolkit/myth-vs-reality.
Resources available now
The Childnet website also contains advice for parents about talking to their children about pornography online, with tailored advice for both children and teenagers.
This advice for parents covers issues to be aware of such as pornography law, age verification and pornography addiction. https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/online-pornography
