Internet porn is fuelling sexual violence in classrooms, say MPs
A CULTURE of internet pornography among children as young as eight is helping fuel ‘widespread’ sexual harassment and violence in schools, MPs warn today.
Primary school children are learning about sex through exposure to ‘hardcore’ porn, with some even becoming addicts.
A hard-hitting report by the Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee recommends ‘age appropriate’ lessons in pornography. Experts giving evidence to the committee suggested this should happen from primary school onwards.
The overhaul is needed as many girls face regular pestering and cat-calling amid ‘shocking’ levels of abuse in corridors and classrooms. Some experience inappropriate touching, having skirts lifted and the pulling down of underwear.
The first ever parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment in schools found that staff are under-reporting incidents and often fail to take them seriously.
It says: ‘The evidence we have gathered paints a concerning picture: the sexual harassment and abuse of girls being accepted as part of daily life; children of primary school age learning about sex and relationships through exposure to hardcore pornography; teachers accepting sexual harassment as being “just banter”; and parents struggling to know how they can best support their children.’
The committee’s report points out that a ‘culture of internet pornography’ has become prevalent among young people.
The Mail has campaigned vigorously for tougher measures to prevent children seeing porn online. The link between por- nography and sexual violence was a consistent theme among expert witnesses who gave evidence to the committee.
Big Talk Education, which provides sex and relationship education (SRE) to 17,000 children each year in schools, noted an increase in referrals of children and young teenagers with porn addictions, including a girl aged only eight.
An experienced secondary school teacher from Birmingham described the impact of pornography on pupils at her school.
She said: ‘I see the transformation of fresh-faced innocent year 7 girls [ages 1112] who will try to be heavily sexualised by the time they reach year 10 [14-15]. I see these beautiful girls not understanding the option to say no.’
The MPs’ report adds: ‘The Government should immediately update its guidance on SRE to include teaching about pornography.’
Laura Bates of the Everyday Sexism Project, who gave evidence to the committee, said lessons about pornography ‘should be started at primary school level’.