A warning has been issued over children copying sex acts and abusive sexual behaviour after viewing pornography online.
The second of a series of reports exploring the impact on children has found that young people are imitating abusive and demeaning sexual acts depicted in internet videos.
Some children have been subjected to sexual degradation at the hands of other youngsters, including strangulation, choking or slapping, the Children's Commissioner for England found.
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A review of police transcripts also found instances of both police and children drawing direct links between the incident of abuse and the abuser’s exposure to pornography.
In several interviews, children who had harmed acknowledged that their exposure to pornography was excessive or unhealthy. Two children who had been harmed said that they felt they had been treated 'like a porn star' by their abuser.
Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza says that 'no child should be able to access or watch pornography' and it's time to 'turn the tide' on the harm it's doing to them.
Her earlier report found that the average age at which children first viewed pornography was 13 years of age, with one in 10 of the 16- to 21-year-olds it surveyed saying they had watched pornography by the time they were nine years old.
With evidence suggesting that 38% of children who have seen pornography, had stumbled across pornography accidentally online, often on social media sites like Twitter, the Children’s Commissioner has previously raised concerns about children’s access to mobile phones.
Darren Morgan is the headteacher of a primary school in Trafford and says that while they haven't had issues with pupils viewing sexualised content, it is obvious which children are viewing 'inappropriate material'.
"I know how impressionable pupils are and we can clearly identify those pupils that are permitted to watch inappropriate material, websites or play inappropriate games by the language that they use and the aggressive behaviours they exhibit compared to their peers whose influences are regulated by their parents," said Mr Morgan, head of Kings Road Primary School in Stretford.
He said there is a definite 'increase in pupils being exposed to inappropriate material' and it's largely from mobile phones and gaming.
The Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership is one place that families and professionals can seek support.
It says that 'research suggests that between 25 - 33% of all sexual abuse is perpetrated by young people between the ages of 10 - 19 years old'.
"Sexually harmful behaviour is the term used to describe children or young people who sexually abuse other children, young people or adults," it says.
"The sexual abuse perpetrated by children can be just as harmful as that perpetrated by an adult, so it is important to remember the impact on the victim of the abuse as well as to focus on the treatment of the child or young person exhibiting the sexually harmful behaviour."
A report from Greater Manchester Safeguarding titled Harmful Sexual Behaviours Presented by Children and Young People highlights how a child's behaviour can be impacted by what they are viewing online.
"The link between online behaviour and harmful sexual behaviour may also be a cause for concern," it says. "Technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour (TA-HSB) can range from developmentally inappropriate use of pornography (and exposing other children to this), through grooming and sexual harassment.
"Online behaviour may be a trigger for sexual abuse and the long-term effect of exposure to pornography can affect the ability to build healthy sexual relationships."
The Children's Commissioner's report comes as the Online Safety Bill returns to the House of Lords for further amendments around children’s exposure to pornography.
De Souza recommends that the bill, due to become law this year, ensures all online platforms hosting pornography have 'robust' age-checking measures in place and that measures in the bill for protecting children from online pornography are consistent across all services – including commercial pornography and mainstream social media sites.
She said: "For too long we have brushed the issue of pornography under the carpet as awkward, uncomfortable, or too difficult to solve – but we cannot shy away from discussing the nature, scale and impacts of online pornography.
“My last report showed just how early in their lives children are seeing violent pornography and the way this often distorts their views on relationships and sex. What this compelling new evidence now shows is that these acts commonly taking place in pornography are also occurring in terrible cases of child sexual abuse and violence.
“When we combine that with what children and young people themselves tell us about the influence porn has on their behaviour and wellbeing, I believe we have a stronger case than ever for bringing in the most robust protections for children online.
“No child should be able to access or watch pornography. Passing the Online Safety Bill must be a priority if we are to protect children quickly and effectively – but it is also just one part of the essential and urgent work of protecting children from sexual abuse.”
Has your child's school issued warnings about children viewing inappropriate content? Do you think regulations need to be tightened? Let us know in the comments here or email emma.gill@reachplc.com.
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