Mother: ‘Porn is sexualising our children’

Pornography is leading to the sexualisation of children, a parenting expert has said.

Writing in the Daily Mail, author and concerned mother Tania Carey said that the growing amount of pornography involving young people means children are being stared at, followed and sexually harassed in the street.

She has written two books about the impact of pornography on young girls, and said she is frustrated that society’s attitude to objectifying women has not moved on since the 1980s.

No shame

Carey was shocked to learn about her own teenage daughter’s experiences, saying: “Every time she goes out alone, or travels on public transport, Claire is stared at or commented on by random men.”

She went on to list other incidents, which included strangers who ‘looked her up and down’, men who “have drawn up alongside her in cars to ask her questions” and catcalling.

The mother stated: “No parent wants to see their daughter reduced to the sum of her sexual parts”, adding: “Now when Claire goes out, I find myself urging her to take more clothes to cover up with, as if she needs a suit of armour.”

Claire has spoken out herself. She said: “I hate the way they look at me as if they have a right. If I look back, they smirk as if to say ‘What’s the problem?’ They have no shame.”

Porn obsession

Carey has no doubt that these findings are being fuelled by porn obsession, saying that “harrowing material has leached into real-life attitudes”.

She also believes that society is in denial about this “public health issue”.

“For many parents, the way young girls are represented in porn is too painful a subject to contemplate. I completely understand — but it is time we woke up and mobilised.”

“We need legislation to prevent porn sites attracting views by showing young girls being raped, abused and harassed. If we stand by and say nothing, the ones who pay the price are our daughters — in too many ways to count.”