Easy access to porn among early teenagers worries Child Welfare Committee

MANGALURU: The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has been noticing a rise in cases where kids aged between 12-16, including girls, have easy access to porn sites or clips.
Information regarding online safety is everywhere, yet parents tend to underestimate how much porn a teen or tween has seen, said CWC chairman Renni D’Souza.
Renni told TOI, “There is no doubt that watching porn is on the rise among 12-16-year-olds. With online education, there have been instances where children are constantly over the phone, exposing them to risks like cyberbullying, sexting, watching and sharing inappropriate content, and contact with a stranger. From April to July this year, we have received four cases related to pornography in this age group and they have told us that least 15 other children are into it, and we are probing. We have also observed that easy access to pornographic materials, coupled with the curiosity factor, is leading to children attaining sexual maturity early.”
Renni said there have also been instances where content is shared among friends groups and children are eager to experiment.
“We have discussed this issue with deputy commissioner KV Rajendra on how to spread awareness among parents. Following this, the District Child Protection Unit has been asked to organise a meeting with experts. The need of the hour is to address parents on online tools that allow them to control children’s access to adult material and protect them from internet predators.,” he said.
Easy reach through dark net
According to cybersecurity expert Ananth Prabhu G, there have been several instances of teens’ blackmailing on social media platforms. “Despite the ban, access to pornography is easy through the dark web,” he told TOI.