IMPORTANT FIRST TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN A DIGITAL WORLD
We are hearing more and more stories and sadly evidence of children viewing pornography, being preyed upon and becoming victims to online sexual abuse and sexploitation. As most children have easy access to Smartphones (either their own or friends), I’m afraid this problem will not being going away. It is not IF your child views pornography or is asked to send nudes but WHEN. My advice: let’s start at the beginning. Below is where I think we need to begin. There will be so much more to unpack with your kids, however the below is a crucial first step. 1. Make sure...
IMPORTANT FIRST TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN A DIGITAL WORLD
We are hearing more and more stories and sadly evidence of children viewing pornography, being preyed upon and becoming victims to online sexual abuse and sexploitation. As most children have easy access to Smartphones (either their own or friends), I’m afraid this problem will not being going away. It is not IF your child views pornography or is asked to send nudes but WHEN. My advice: let’s start at the beginning. Below is where I think we need to begin. There will be so much more to unpack with your kids, however the below is a crucial first step. 1. Make sure...
A Teenage Girl's Guide to Empowerment
1. Embrace your uniqueness and ignore anyone who tries to shame or bully you about your appearance. We all have a body and each body is different. Love yourself. 2. Do not slut-shame* other girls. Support each other. Women face many expectations from a male-dominated society. Lift each other up to fight gender inequality. 3. Pornography is not real. It is not what a loving respectful relationship looks like. What you may have seen are two or more actors. Even though the woman appears to enjoy sex that objectifies and degrades her, in real-life this most likely is not the...
A Teenage Girl's Guide to Empowerment
1. Embrace your uniqueness and ignore anyone who tries to shame or bully you about your appearance. We all have a body and each body is different. Love yourself. 2. Do not slut-shame* other girls. Support each other. Women face many expectations from a male-dominated society. Lift each other up to fight gender inequality. 3. Pornography is not real. It is not what a loving respectful relationship looks like. What you may have seen are two or more actors. Even though the woman appears to enjoy sex that objectifies and degrades her, in real-life this most likely is not the...
I’m Deeply Concerned About Our Kids and Here Is Why
In my opinion ... 1. Children are being exposed to sexually explicit content that they are not mature enough to see. This content has deeply traumatic effects on the child. 2. Children are more exposed to horrifying and disturbing images of conflict and trauma worldwide than ever before. They don’t have the maturity and insight to deal with what they are seeing and hearing about, which can lead to anxiety and depression. 3. Women and girls are sexually objectified constantly and relentlessly through the media and our children (particularly young girls) are seeing their worth as a sexualised object for...
I’m Deeply Concerned About Our Kids and Here Is Why
In my opinion ... 1. Children are being exposed to sexually explicit content that they are not mature enough to see. This content has deeply traumatic effects on the child. 2. Children are more exposed to horrifying and disturbing images of conflict and trauma worldwide than ever before. They don’t have the maturity and insight to deal with what they are seeing and hearing about, which can lead to anxiety and depression. 3. Women and girls are sexually objectified constantly and relentlessly through the media and our children (particularly young girls) are seeing their worth as a sexualised object for...
Dear Mothers and Fathers of Boys
As a mother of girls in 2016 I have the following requests — especially as my daughters are now young women. Please teach your sons the following as they grow into manhood. 1. Teach your sons, from a very young age, that girls are not here on this earth for them. For example, they cannot simply take hold of a girl’s hand during kindergarten story-time or chase her around trying to ‘steal kisses’. If your son wishes to hold a little girl’s hand, he will need to ask. For example, ‘Please, may I hold you hand?’ If she says, ‘Yes’,...
Dear Mothers and Fathers of Boys
As a mother of girls in 2016 I have the following requests — especially as my daughters are now young women. Please teach your sons the following as they grow into manhood. 1. Teach your sons, from a very young age, that girls are not here on this earth for them. For example, they cannot simply take hold of a girl’s hand during kindergarten story-time or chase her around trying to ‘steal kisses’. If your son wishes to hold a little girl’s hand, he will need to ask. For example, ‘Please, may I hold you hand?’ If she says, ‘Yes’,...
Terrifying Statistics Linking Child Sexual Abuse and Porn Internet Use
• European researchers (COPINE) … found 78% of offenders charged with downloading or possessing abusive images had abused children prior to, or soon after viewing images. On average, each offender had abused up to 30 different children. (Personal correspondence with Briggs 5th Jan 2006) • 1 in 4 men arrested for possessing child pornography had a history of molesting children. (Software Tracks Child Porn Traffickers On-line, USA Today 16th April 2008) • In the US National Juvenile Online Victimization Survey by Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor (2003), it was found that a majority of the offenders arrested for possession...
Terrifying Statistics Linking Child Sexual Abuse and Porn Internet Use
• European researchers (COPINE) … found 78% of offenders charged with downloading or possessing abusive images had abused children prior to, or soon after viewing images. On average, each offender had abused up to 30 different children. (Personal correspondence with Briggs 5th Jan 2006) • 1 in 4 men arrested for possessing child pornography had a history of molesting children. (Software Tracks Child Porn Traffickers On-line, USA Today 16th April 2008) • In the US National Juvenile Online Victimization Survey by Wolak, Mitchell and Finkelhor (2003), it was found that a majority of the offenders arrested for possession...
Links Between Child Sexual Abuse and Internet Pornography
As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I knew pornography existed through schoolyard chatter and discussion. I knew it existed in the form of magazines and videos — most often obtained behind a blacked-out door, only enterable if you were over 18. And for those who did enter, you hoped none of your friends or family saw you! In 2014, internet pornography exists, and it is free and all-too-accessible to anyone of any age with an internet-enabled device such as a smart phone, tablet, computer or game console. First up, in a time of internet pornography, the key...
Links Between Child Sexual Abuse and Internet Pornography
As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I knew pornography existed through schoolyard chatter and discussion. I knew it existed in the form of magazines and videos — most often obtained behind a blacked-out door, only enterable if you were over 18. And for those who did enter, you hoped none of your friends or family saw you! In 2014, internet pornography exists, and it is free and all-too-accessible to anyone of any age with an internet-enabled device such as a smart phone, tablet, computer or game console. First up, in a time of internet pornography, the key...