News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

Child-on-computer-main_article_image.jpg
Peter Byrne and PA Wire
UK News

Christian charity 'shocked but unsurprised' as children as young as seven watching pornography

It's been responding to a new report which should children as young as seven are accessing adult material.

In the largest ever study of its kind, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) also found over half of 11 to 13 year olds have seen it at some point.

David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC, said: "Pornography is currently one click away for children of all ages in the UK, and this research supports the growing body of evidence that it is affecting the way young people understand healthy relationships, sex, body image and consent.

"The research also shows that when young children - in some cases as young as seven or eight years old - first see pornography online, it is most commonly not on purpose."

The government has agreed to implement plans for age verification tools for online pornography but is yet to carry it out.

CARE's Communications Manager, James Mildred said: "In this context, age-verification on pornographic sites is an absolute must.

"We need to make sure our young people are given the same level of protection online as they are offline.

"Of course, we know age-verification is not a silver bullet and needs to be complemented by other measures and parents have a particularly important role to play in making sure they are aware of the dangers and the steps to take to protect children online.

"The Digital Economy Act made provisions for an age-verification scheme which CARE wholeheartedly supports.

"That scheme has faced multiple delays, the last due to a ridiculous oversight by the Government.

"We were told in the summer that the scheme would be introduced 'later this year'.

"There must be no more delays. Age-verification is a necessary tool to protect children online and the sooner it is in place, the better."

The BBFC report also found three quarters of parents believe that their children have never watched online pornography.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate