Most children exposed to porn by age 12, study says

(CNN) - It is not a conversation parents want to have, but experts said you probably need to talk to your child about pornography sooner than you think.

WARNING: Story and video contain difficult subject matter.

A new study found most kids are seeing adult material online by the age of 12. Nowadays, it’s easier for kids to access.

“They do see little bits of things popping up on kids computers at school, even in elementary school,” said Michelle Worster, the mother of a teenager.

So easy - it is now a regular part of many teens’ everyday lives.

According to a groundbreaking new report by Common Sense, a nonprofit media company focused on kids and families, a majority of teens age 13 to 17 have seen pornography online either intentionally or accidentally.

Jim Steyer, Common Sense CEO, called the numbers “mind boggling.”

“I was pretty shocked to know that 73% of all teenagers in the United States are exposed to pornography,” Steyer said. “Online pornography is everywhere, and kids are accessing it early.”

The report, based on a national survey of more than 1,300 teens, found the average age kids first saw online pornography was 12 years old - with some 15 percent seeing it by age 10 or younger.

About eight in 10 teens who watched porn said they did so to learn how to have sex, with many saying they felt online porn provided helpful information. But more than half said they had seen porn that included depictions of rape, choking or someone in pain, making porn a growing concern for parents.

Worster says she monitors her teen’s internet searches and text messages.

“The obvious link would be they’re using this to determine their sexual identity, to determine what’s acceptable, how you become a sexual human being,” Worster said. “And if that becomes what they think is OK then, you know, this is what they’re learning from watching it.”

Another issue is how much porn teens are watching.

Of the 44% who said they intentionally watched porn, 71% reported viewing it in the last week and nearly six in 10 said they watched porn once a week or more.

It’s not just happening at home or in kids’ spare time - 30% of teens who consumed porn reported being exposed to it during the school day, whether at school or while attending school remotely, sometimes even on a school-issued device.

Jack West, a high school science teacher in the Bay Area, says schools have a role to play here.

“It’s a multifaceted problem that requires a multifaceted approach, so there’s parents, there’s teachers, there’s a community and yes, in schools, I think we should be addressing this,” West said. “And health education or sex education seems like a good place for that to happen.”

Beyond concerns about violent or aggressive portrayals, only a third of teens reported seeing porn that includes someone asking for consent before engaging in sexual activity.

According to the study, teens who watch porn a lot see more violence. Of those who watched porn three or more days in the past week, 84 percent said they’ve seen porn depicting rape, choking or someone in pain.

Steyer hopes the report sparks a national conversation.

“Parents have to be more involved and more knowledgeable,” he said. “Schools have to recognize that this is actually happening in schools and that it’s part of sex education and behavioral education for young people, and quite frankly, the industry has got to be held accountable for the fact that they are the gateway platforms for all of this pornography to young people.”

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