Local expert offers one point parents should make to their kids
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) -- A recent survey found on average kids in America are first coming across pornography online at age 12.
That trend was the subject of a high-profile article in the New York Times over the weekend.
While this finding might surprise some, it does not surprise Jennie Noll, the executive director of Mount Hope Family Center in Rochester.
She herself conducted a study in which she monitored kids' internet usage and found many of them were searching for and watching pornography.
"And then we followed those kids up longitudinally for a couple of years and assessed their sexual activities and their risky sexual behavior sure enough there is a direct connection, causal connection between pornography consumption and sexual activities later in development and that's something to pay attention to," she said.
Given that children have easier access to pornography than previous generations through unfettered internet access and given that many of those children are finding their way to porn sites, Noll said conversation is key.
She said parents should make clear the difference between healthy sexuality and pornography.
"This is not healthy sexuality, this is exploitation so when kids only see pornography or become obsessed with it or are doing it to their detriment, they're doing it and think that that's what healthy sexuality is," Noll said.
As for prevention, Noll suggested employing parental controls, reviewing internet search history, moving a computer into a communal area, and restricting usage at night.