Posted on 04 02, 2009 by Cathy
Pray about the impact of internet pornography on teenage sexual experience.
On line pornography is readily accessible, a survey found that 57% of 9 - 19 year old's had seen porn on the internet. The average age of first exposure is 11.
85% of teenagers who had watched pornography online said that they had first come across it accidently. There is a big gender difference in response with girls less likely to seek it out but for boys becoming adicted to increasingly hardcore pornography. The "Living Waters" charity in London are getting increasing numbers of calls for help from teenage boys. Pray that teenagers will get the help they need to break addictions to pornography.
A third of teenagers say that much of their education about sex comes from watching pornography. This leads to a highly distorted perception of what is normal. For many teenagers what they see on pornography becomes normal and what is normal is right. For instance: Condoms are not used in pornography - 42% of 14-17 year old's who have had sex had done so without using a condom. 15% were unaware that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS.
Pornography gives the impression that sex is simple, that it is about physical self gratification and not about love and respect and relationship. There is much annecdotal evidence that pornogrpahy is changing how boys are relating to girls and what they expect from girls.
92% of teenagers are not happy about their bodies.
Pray for these young people who are so misinformed and under so much pressure.
10% of teenagers in Luton under the age of 13 report having had a sexual experience, this percentage rises rapidly for 14 & 15 year olds. Pray for all those involved in teenage sexual education.
Many children's charities are calling for blocking technologies to be switched on by law when sold. Teenagers questioned about this generally approved.
Pray that such laws may be passed - the home office is currently working through a raft of measures to change laws concerning internet pornogrphy, to restrict access and to ban the most violent sexual material.
Pray for parents of teenagers, that they will become aware of what their children are watching, and will know how to protect their children and give wise counsel to those already affected.
Pray for retailers to provide filters as a matter of course and internet service providers to do more to make secure filters readily accessible.
Pray for those involved in research that they can clearly show the detrimental effect of watching pornography on real relationships. For instance there is evidence that those who watch violent x rated sexual behaviour online are more likely to be violent. (But it is hard to prove that those who watch it are not already predesopsed to violence.)
There is a growing trend for under age children to create provocative images of themselves and post them online. Guys sometimes ask girls to send photos of themsleves. Often it is the least secure, less popular girls who are pursuaded - pray for their protection.
Pray that God will have mercy on us all!
This information largely comes from a BBC Radio 4 programme: On Line Damage and from Channel 4: The sex education show
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