London - Watching porn online is the norm for boys as young as 13, a shocking survey has found.
Most teenage boys tune into porn at least two or three times a week on their phones or bedroom computers – with an astonishing one in eight so addicted that they watch it several times a day.
Girls are almost as likely to have seen porn as boys, but they watch it less often and are much more likely to be left upset, worried or disgusted by something they had seen.
Alarmingly, two thirds of those questioned aged between 11 and 13 had seen porn online, although far less frequently than their older counterparts.
The survey by the charity ChildLine found that almost three quarters of youngsters said they had stumbled across hardcore sites by accident, strengthening the argument for filters to be put in place.
Campaigners say increasing porn use among teenagers warps their view of sex and prompts boys to treat girls as sex objects.
Jon Brown, the NSPCC official in charge of tackling sexual abuse, said: “Sadly this again confirms what we already suspected – that many young people are regularly viewing online pornography.
“We are deeply concerned that access to these hardcore and often violent videos is warping young people’s views of what is normal or acceptable behaviour. This is leading to some people copying or mimicking the videos.”
The survey of more than 800 young people found that more than three quarters of children aged between 13 and 17 have seen pornography, with most finding it online or watching it on a mobile phone.
More than half said they had been left upset, worried or disgusted by something they saw in a porn film. But few knew where to turn to for help.
Almost as many girls had seen porn as boys, at 73 percent compared to 88 percent respectively. However, there was a big difference in the frequency, with most girls saying they ‘hardly ever’ viewed it, but 56 percent of boys saying they viewed it two to three times a week or more.
Among those aged 13 and under, two thirds said they had seen porn – a third on their mobiles. Although 59 percent said they saw it “hardly ever”, nine percent had viewed it several times a day.
More than half – 56 percent – said they had felt upset or disgusted after seeing adult material; and 83 percent said they had stumbled across it accidentally. - Daily Mail