Youth Voices: Children and pornography

The rules for the online world are changing.

One part of the online world that is particularly concerning is pornography and how easy it is for children to access. Children should not be able to access this type of harmful content but our research has found many still are, often by accident.

We conducted a survey and spoke to children and young people to understand what their online lives look like, so we can check that the new rules make them safer. In this survey, 70% reported they had seen it.

Dame Rachel de Souza
Children’s Commissioner for England

My report highlights how little has changed in the two years since my first report on children’s exposure to pornography: many children are accidentally seeing it, much of it is violent, often on social media and it is impacting their behaviour and their beliefs about relationships, or each other.

No child should be exposed to porn online. The new rules introduced this summer are a real opportunity to make children’s safety online a non-negotiable priority for everyone: politicians, tech companies and social media sites, schools and parents. Schools also need to implement the new Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RHSE) guidance in a way that focuses on quality and safety.

What the Commissioner has found out?

Children are spending more and more time online. This means more are coming across, sometimes accidentally, distressing or harmful content.

– Children are most likely to find pornography accidently – 59% reported first seeing pornography online by accident.- In 2025, there were 29,244 children in unregistered AP – more than in registered AP.

– Children’s are seeing pornography online – 70% of survey respondents reported seeing it.

– Children are being exposed at a young age – The average age a child first sees pornography online is 13. Some reported seeing it aged 6.

“It’s just so common, it’s so normalised and everyone’s just so desensitised to it, but a lot of people just accept it as kind of a normal which is wrong.” – Girl, 16

“I definitely think that pornography changes people’s outlook on sex, and I think that it can lead to sex being more violent. I think if anything, my biggest worry is that it also affects people’s behaviour in general. I think it can also just make people more violent in general, even if it’s not in a sexual setting.” – Girl, 16

“Obviously social media messaging apps […] people get added to random group chats […] people [get] sent stickers of really explicit stuff.” – Girl, 16

“I have seen it at school that boys expect girls to look a certain way, or they are worthless, it’s horrible” – Boy, 17

“People have created basically fake videos of people having sex […] that’s a bit worrying as well because people can, you know for example create child pornography through that.” – Girl, 16

“[A] reason why some people might go on to it actively is so they can sort of express themselves in that way and find out more about what sex actually looks like. In a way that they can’t do it normally with other people.” – Girl, 16

What is the Commissioner going to do?

The Children’s Commissioner has been pushing decision-makers to make children’s safety online a priority. She is working with Ofcom who have produced the new online rules and regulate what tech companies must do to protect children on their sites.

The Commissioner is asking for the government to:

– make pornography that shows acts which are illegal offline illegal online.

– support schools teach and talk about pornography sensitively and safely in RHSE lessons.

– make sure the rules preventing children from finding extreme and harmful content are implemented effectively.

How can you get help?

If you are affected by the issues discussed, you can talk to your school, a trusted family member or trusted adult. It is important that if something is distressing you, you reach out to someone you trust who can listen.

The following organisations can provide you with expert information, advice and support:

If you are feeling worried about any of these issues you can call Childline for support or go to their website.

Shout provides 24/7 urgent mental health support: giveusashout.org | text SHOUT to 85258.

The Survivors Trust for victims of sexual violence: thesurvivorstrust.org/our-helpline | 0808 801 0818

NAPAC offers support to adult survivors of childhood abuse: [email protected] | 0808 801 0331

You can also contact your local NHS urgent mental health helpline or call 111 for 24/7 advice | nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline.

If you are living in care, are living away from home, have a social worker or are a care leaver you can contact the Children’s Commissioner’s Help at Hand team.

Giving all children a voice