Summertime, Kids & Porn: What Parents Need To Know
How do I protect my kids from porn over summer break?
Monitor their online activity closely, because porn searches jump sharply when school lets out. Net Nanny reports only 3 percent of teen boys and 17 percent of girls have never seen online porn, and a Childline survey found one in five 12 and 13 year olds thinks watching it is normal. The American College of Pediatrics links exposure to acting out and unstable relationships later.
School’s out for the summer!
For leaders wondering where to begin, porn recovery resources for churches is a good resource.
If you’re a parent, this means planning trips to the pool, family vacations, play dates with kids’ friends, and juggling an even balance between the demands of your job and family.
While it’s a great time to relax, it’s also crucial to stay on guard in certain areas of life. Now more than ever, parents need to remain diligent in monitoring their child’s online activity.
Teens, Summer & Porn
According to Google Analytics, pornography searches increase by 4,700% when kids are out of school.
Net Nanny reports that only 3% of teenage boys and 17% of girls have never seen online pornography.
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In 2015, Childline conducted a survey of 700 pre-teens and teens. They found that one in five reported seeing pornographic images that upset them.
Furthermore, 12% of those surveyed admitted to taking part in a sexually explicit video.
Peter Liver, director of Childline, states,
“We know from the young people who contact ChildLine that viewing porn is a part of everyday life, and our poll shows that one in five 12 to 13-year-olds thinks that watching porn is normal behavior.”
Related Article: 4 Ways Porn Is Hurting Our Children
The Negative Effects of Porn on Kids
“They tell ChildLine that watching porn is making them feel depressed, giving them body image issues, and making them feel pressured to engage in sexual acts they’re not ready for,” added Liver.
BBC published an article in 2015 indicating that a tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds worry that they are addicted to pornography.
Related Article: 4 Ways Porn Is Hurting Our Children
A boy under the age of 15 shared that he always watches porn, and he admitted that some of it was very aggressive. He went on to say,
“I didn’t think it was affecting me at first but I’ve started to view girls a bit differently recently and it’s making me worried. I would like to get married in the future but I’m scared it might never happen if I carry on thinking about girls the way I do.”
A 17-year-old shared that she was sexually assaulted by her boyfriend when they were both only 12 years old. She said, “He thought it was OK on some level. I felt dirty, confused, and shocked. Pornography isn’t just a 10-minute video – it has consequences.”
Related Article: Florida First State In the Nation to Teach K-12 Child Trafficking Prevention
The American College of Pediatrics concludes that children suffer negative effects from exposure to porn. These can include mental disturbance, unrest, acting out, violent behavior, and difficulty in forming authentic, stable relationships as they mature.
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Being the Example To Your Kids
Related Article: To My Porn-Watching Dad, From Your Daughter
While we need to remain proactive in monitoring our kids, we also need to remember that we have the power to have the biggest influence on them.
- Have age-appropriate conversations within your family.
- Be quick to listen, slow to anger, and non-judgmental.
- Encourage your children that your home is the safest place to discuss questions, concerns, fears, and curiosity.
- Change must start with us. Kids will pay attention to the things we do and say. Though you might not be aware of it now, their moral compass is being formed in your footsteps.
If, as a parent, you are struggling with a secret porn problem, today is the day to start your journey to freedom. Don’t wait, thinking that your child is not aware. Chances are, they know more than you think they do.
Parents have got to wage war with the enemy for the souls of their children, grandchildren, and generations to come. Be courageous, rid your home of porn, and champion the fight for yourself, your marriage, and your family.
Related Article: How Watching Porn Can Affect Your Kids and Grandkids
If you’re not sure how to begin, check out the Conquer Series. It’s real, practical, and you’ll hear from others who have been where you’re at right now. One of those couples is James and Teri Craft, founders of the NOVUS Project.
Jeff Bush from Montgomery, Alabama chose to purchase the series to watch it with his kids. He shares the impact that it had on his sons.
Related Article: Forbidden Discussions: What Children Want To Know
Learning the Facts & Taking Action
Even if a parent does not personally struggle with a porn problem, they can most definitely take a proactive approach by viewing the Conquer Series.
Experts will share scientific evidence of the brain being changed through the viewing of pornography. The Conquer Series takes a look at how painful moments, hurtful words, and the lack of a father figure can contribute to the struggle as well.
Related Article: This Is Your Brain On Porn
Listen, the enemy is not going to give up. He wants our kids, our grandkids. And he knows that to entice them with skewed perspectives of what healthy sexuality should look like will not only be destructive to them but also to their future spouses, children, and the generations to follow.
Beyond that, he knows that a struggle with sexual sin can cause separation from God.
We cannot win a battle if we’re unaware of the war. Take advantage of the relaxed summer season, and start streaming the Conquer Series today. Review it, share it with your kids if you feel that it is appropriate for their maturity level. Choose to do something today to protect your child’s tomorrow!
Writing at the intersection of faith and neuroscience to help men and women break destructive cycles and walk in lasting freedom.
More articles by Jeremy Wiles →Frequently Asked Questions
How does porn affect a child's mental health?
Children themselves describe the damage. Those contacting Childline report that watching pornography leaves them depressed, gives them body image issues, and makes them feel pressured into sexual acts they are not ready for. A BBC report in 2015 found that a tenth of 12 and 13 year olds already worried they were addicted to it. One boy said he had started viewing girls differently and feared it would cost him marriage one day.
Why do porn searches spike during summer break?
Because supervision drops and free hours multiply. Google Analytics data shows pornography searches increasing by 4,700 percent when children are out of school. Nothing about a child changes in June; the structure around them does. That is why the summer calendar deserves the same intentionality as the school year, with device rules, shared spaces and honest conversations planned before the first week of holidays arrives.
How do I talk to my kids about porn?
Have age-appropriate conversations inside your own family rather than waiting for the culture to run them first. Be quick to listen, slow to anger and genuinely non-judgmental, because a child who fears your reaction will simply take the question elsewhere. Make it explicit that your home is the safest place to raise questions, concerns, fears and curiosity. You want to be the person they come to, not the person they hide from.
What if I am the parent secretly struggling with porn?
Then today is the day to start your own journey to freedom, not after the kids are grown. Change has to start with us, because children pay far more attention to what we do than to what we say, and their moral compass is quietly forming in our footsteps. Do not assume your child is unaware. The odds are good they already know more than you think.
Are teenagers sending explicit videos of themselves?
A significant minority are. In a survey of 700 pre-teens and teenagers, 12 percent admitted to taking part in a sexually explicit video. One in five reported seeing pornographic images that upset them. For young people who contact helplines, viewing porn is described as simply part of everyday life, which means the question for parents is not whether children will encounter it but what they will do when they do.
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