Collective Shout has been campaigning against pornography since our inception and things have really heated up as we advocate for age verification technology to be implemented on porn sites. Last week our Youth advocate Daniel Principe was interviewed about his engagement with boys.
“There are huge harms associated with pornography. The research suggests that boys who consume a lot of pornography are more likely to be sexually violent, so there are broad ramifications for the entire community.”
“I’m in Broome right now and 80 per cent of the Year 7 boys I just spoke to have had sexual content drop into their Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Discord feeds,” Mr Principe said.
“In a session I did this morning with Year 5 and 6 boys, 50 to 60 per cent said they are encountering pornography online.”
“The best sex and respectful relationship and consent education programs can’t compete,” he said. “Trying to undo the damaging indoctrination of pornography is very challenging.”
“Every single day I’m hearing stories from young people themselves about the kind of shocking content they’re being exposed to.
“It’s a modest ask to at least trial an age verification system pilot that can be taken on an iterative process to keep children safe.”
‘Porn profits before protection’
Child safety advocates slammed the government’s decision to ignore the eSafety Commissioner’s age verification plan.
The group Collective Shout said pornography profits had been prioritised over the protection of children.
“The government has caved to the vested interests of the porn industry,” Collective Shout director Melinda Tankard Reist said.
“Even while acknowledging porn as a driver of violence against women, as reflected in its National Plan to Address Violence Against Women and Children, the government has allowed itself to be swayed by industry resistance to an age-verification system.
“If France, Germany, UK, Louisiana and Utah can roll out age verification systems, why can’t we? Vested interests should not be put before the wellbeing of children.”
Read the full article on news.com
"We don't understand why the Federal Government has put the vested interests of a global, predatory porn industry before the wellbeing and safety of children"
Our Movement Director, Melinda Tankard Reist, also appeared on Sky News to discuss our campaign for age verification for porn sites and the failures of advertising self regulation.
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