New South Wales will be the first state to hold an inquiry on the impacts of pornography, especially on young people, as part of an inquiry announced today. Source: ABC News.
Attorney-General Michael Daley requested a parliamentary committee look into and report on the impacts of violent and misogynistic pornographic material on mental, emotional and physical health.
A report last year from the eSafety Commissioner found that 75 per cent of surveyed 16- to 18-year-olds had seen online pornography.
Nearly one third of the group had seen it before the age of 13.
“A generation of young men are growing up with unprecedented access to the online world, and this includes early and easy access to pornography, with harmful depictions of the treatment of women,” Mr Daley said.
“This inquiry will for the first time in our state provide insight into the full impacts of harmful pornography online and young people’s access to it.”
The inquiry will examine the impact of exposure to harmful pornography on children, teenagers and young adults as part of its terms of reference, as well as improvements to supports to parents and carers to educate children about pornography.
NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Hannah Tonkin said the increasingly young age of exposure was concerning because “pornography often contains harmful messages and representations” that normalise violence against women.
“This exposure comes at a crucial time in children’s lives when they are developing attitudes about gender roles, sex and relationships,” Dr Tonkin said.
“There is an urgent need to improve our understanding of the impacts this is having on attitudes and behaviour, particularly those of boys and young men.”
The inquiry will also look at deepfake pornography, how pornography is disseminated and impacts on minority groups.
FULL STORY
NSW government to hold parliamentary inquiry into impacts of pornography on young people (By Millie Roberts, ABC News)
