Pornography and sexual explicit content

Pornography and sexually explicit content can be described as images, or video content (real, cartoons or anime) that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy a viewer.

How does porn and sexually explicit content impact young people with a disability?

Young people living with a disability are curious about relationships, sex and intimacy, and so may seek out explicit material in order to understand it. They may also come across material inadvertently by clicking on pop ups or links or being introduced to it by a friend. Chatrooms or chat options in games or social media also facilitate immediate and direct communication between users and when targeted at teenagers, are known for explicit sexual talk, inuendo, obscene language and aggressive sexual approaches that can lead to the viewing of explicit content.

When young people view porn, they are exposed to 88% of scenes including acts of physical aggression, and in 95% of those incidents, the aggression is met with either a neutral or pleasured response by the woman. Young people living with a disability need extra assistance in breaking down unhealthy stereotypes and opinions based on relationships informed by porn.

This Online Safety Training is a joint initiative between Interaction and ySafe and has been made possible by funding from the eSafety Commissioner's Online Safety Grants program.