Porn not ‘inherently harmful’, says first inquiry of its kind in Australia

The New South Wales parliament recently released a report exploring the impacts of pornography on people’s mental, emotional and physical health. It’s the first state-based inquiry of its kind, and rejects knee-jerk simplifications in favour of nuanced findings.

The Standing Committee on Social Issues sought input from a wide variety of voices including researchers, educators, parents, religious organisations, sex workers, women’s rights organisations, the adult entertainment industry, and young people.

The multitude of perspectives has helped the committee formulate an inclusive and well-rounded response to what has long been a contentious topic: what effect does porn have on young people?

In its first finding, the committee notes not all pornography is inherently harmful. This goes against mainstream public discourse that indiscriminately positions all porn as harmful.

Concerns about the potential harms of pornography have long overlooked that, much like any other media, the impact will depend on the specific content, its context and the individual consuming it.

After roundtable interviews, the committee reported that participants’ responses had challenged them to think “critically and compassionately” about how young people engage with sexual content online.

At the same time, the reports acknowledges porn has the potential to impact intimacy in relationships, reinforce gender stereotypes, and distort perceptions of sex and relationships – but notes the evidence holds mixed results on these impacts.

Access to porn

Research has found access to pornography occurs at an average age of around 13 for young Australians. Another longitudinal study found the average age of accidental access is around age 11.

Most teens who deliberately look for porn tend to access it via internet searches, or websites such as Pornhub.

According to eSafety research, young people who accidentally come across the content tend to do so via internet pop-ups or gaming websites, or through a friend or peer.

Young people aren’t passive consumers

Based on numerous accounts, including from young people, and previous research, the report concludes sex education in it’s current form is not effectively exploring the topic of pornography with young people.

In the absence of sufficient education, young people may turn to porn for more information. This is especially the case for those may not see themselves or their sexuality properly represented in the curriculum, such as LGBTQIA+ youth. This was supported by our recently published research which shows some teens seek pornography which depicts mutual pleasure and queer sex.

Teens who took part in our research were able to critically reflect on storylines and the specifics of porn production in nuanced ways. For instance, many felt they were being algorithmically directed to the popular category of “step-family” porn.

Female and gender-diverse participants also expressed discomfort around the eroticisation of youth and “teen porn”, which they understood is generally created for the male gaze.

How might porn impact young people?

The report relayed various concerns in relation to young people’s access to pornography, as well as some benefits.

There were concerns from a mix of stakeholders regarding the lack of consent depicted in porn. A 2021 systematic review exploring consent in porn found there is no agreement in the literature regarding whether porn consumption can be correlated with better, or worse, understanding or practising of sexual consent.

Given the focus on consent in recent years, the teens in our research were hyper-aware of the lack of consent depicted onscreen. They suggested the industry could be held to higher standards, such as with better depictions of consent and better conditions and pay for actors.

A number of submissions were also concerned about the impact of porn on body image. Research shows boys and young men are more prone to body comparison and low self-esteem when watching porn as they may focus on masculine physique and penis size.

At the same time, one 2020 study noted in the report found young consumers felt porn offered a more diverse representation of body types than other media.

How to address these concerns

The report says further research should be conducted into young people’s porn viewing habits, and how they deal with a lack of information on sex.

It also suggests better support is needed for parents and educators. Our research found teens can often detect their parents’ inexperience and lack of comfort around the topic of porn. As such, they may avoid bringing it up.

The report recommends schools could help support parents by providing guidance on how to have judgement-free conversations with their kids about porn, and how to implement tools to prevent early access.

It also says further research, funding and training are needed to give educators skills and confidence to deliver effective sex ed.

Importantly, schools and teachers should go beyond simplistic messages such as porn is “fantasy” or “unrealistic”, as teens appear to already be aware of this. Instead, they should engage in meaningful discussion, and meet the existing wisdom of young people.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said the report found young people think “critically and compassionately” about how they engage with sexual content online. The report actually said the interviewees’ responses challenged the report’s committee themselves to think critically and compassionately about this issue. This has been corrected.