Leading head teachers are arguing that children should be made aware of the dangers of porn by their teachers as soon as they begin using the internet. A recent survey by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) found that 42 per cent of parents agree with them.
While there is little debate about the need to prevent young children from encountering porn, concern does exist about the best methods of doing so. Last month, on This Morning, journalist Alley Einstein (certainly no relation to Albert), advocated teachers telling children as young as five about the potential harm of porn.
This reminds me of a recent occurrence. Upon briefly leaving our kitchen, a flatmate of mine specifically instructed us not to check the internet history of his laptop, which he left behind. I won’t insult you by stating what happened next.
Children of a young age are naturally inquisitive. The expectation that we can tell them about porn, without further enquiry on their behalf, seems misplaced.
The online security company, Bitdefender, estimates that 1.16 per cent of children will have accessed porn by the tender age of six. This figure may be unacceptable, but it’s not unlikely. I fear that this figure will only be increased by discussing the topic with children.
