A whopping 81 percent of South African children between the ages of 13 and 17 have seen pornographic images on their friends' cellphones, the Sowetan reported on Thursday.
Sixty-seven percent have been exposed to pornography through movies and, by the time they reach 18 years of age, 64 percent would have seen images of pornography on the Internet.
These shocking statistics were revealed by the Films and Publications Board's ministerial task team on child pornography under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba at an indaba which ended this week.
The survey was conducted among high school pupils at randomly chosen schools in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The aim was to provide an informed basis for the establishment and implementation of public policy initiatives and other measures to minimise children's exposure to such materials, said Home Affairs spokesperson Bayanda Mzoneli.
He said the study was also aimed at empowering pupils with the necessary skills to cope with any distress they might suffer from involuntary exposure to disturbing and harmful materials.
The report also revealed that 45 percent of the respondents admitted to watching pornographic films regularly.
"More boys (84 percent) than girls (54 percent) have watched at least one pornographic film," the report said. - Sapa