Pornography is now the most prominent sex educator of young people with 90 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls exposed to online porn, a forum at Wodonga will hear this month.
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Ease of access to content - including illegal and extremely violent material - is increasing the risk of accidental exposure by children, according to sexual violence prevention expert Maree Crabbe, who will present the parent session on May 29.
The Reality & Risk project director warns porn is an issue parents and schools can not afford to ignore.
"Porn is increasingly playing a role in how young people learn about, think about and experience sexuality," she said.
"Many adults are unaware of how pervasive pornography has become, the nature of the material young people see or how it is affecting young people's sexual understandings and experiences.
"Young people need us to help them navigate this space safely."
Ms Crabbe said pornography conveyed complex messages about gender, power, sexual health, bodies, consent, performance, sexuality and sex.
"Young people often do not have the critical frameworks required to deconstruct and understand these messages," she added.
Statistics show 88 per cent of the most watched porn contains scenes of physical aggression.
In 94 per cent of cases, the aggressive acts were directed at female performers.
Additionally, Ms Crabbe revealed, 71 per cent of young people were not looking for pornography the first time they saw it.
The Border event offers strategies to assist parents and carers to support children to navigate this "new reality" and develop relationships that are healthy, safe and respectful.
The event, supported by Wodonga Council, Gateway Health, Victorian education department, Scots School Albury and parents, includes a training day for teachers, youth and health workers on May 30.
- The parent forum is on May 29, Catholic College Wodonga, 6pm-7.30pm, book at eventbrite.
- For more information about the about the Reality & Risk project, go to the website.
- MORE REPORTS: Saturday