Sydney: A landmark New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has revealed alarming evidence that children as young as 10 are being exposed to online pornography, with significant consequences for their emotional, social, and sexual development. The report, published on October 17 on the NSW Parliament website, highlights the detrimental effects of early exposure, including reduced empathy, increased sexual aggression, addictive behaviours, and negative attitudes toward women.
The inquiry found that pornography is easily accessible to children and young people online, with the average age of first exposure being just 13 years. Many children and adolescents reportedly turn to pornography to fill gaps in their sexuality education, particularly in the case of LGBT youth and those with disabilities. According to the report, this early and unmediated exposure can lead to reduced self-esteem, emotional instability, poorer family and social relationships, compulsive behaviours, and a greater likelihood of sexual objectification of women.
The committee expressed shock at the correlation between problematic pornography use and harmful sexual behaviours among young people aged 10 to 17 who access the NSW Health New Street Services, a community program addressing harmful sexual behaviours. The inquiry noted a “large unmet demand” for services to support children demonstrating problematic sexual behaviour and recommended the NSW Government increase resources and mental health support for these youth. Additionally, workforce development was urged to equip teachers and mental health practitioners with the skills to handle such cases effectively.
While the report stresses the harms of early exposure, it clarifies that pornography itself is “not inherently harmful” when consumed by adults as entertainment. However, the inquiry highlighted concerns over mainstream pornography, which often contains themes of violence, misogyny, lack of consent, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and illegal acts such as child abuse and incest. These problematic depictions contribute to the distortion of young people’s understanding of healthy sexual relationships.
The inquiry resulted in 17 recommendations, including calls for stronger government regulation to block pop-up pornography advertisements on social media and gaming platforms, further research into the harms of early pornography exposure, and collaboration with the federal government to remove content depicting illegal acts.
The report also included a dissenting statement from Liberal MP Susan Carter, who argued that it lacked a clear emphasis on the harms of pornography and criticized the phrase “where appropriate” regarding parental involvement in children’s education on pornography. Carter stressed that parental engagement should always be considered essential, noting that pornography is increasingly shaping young people’s perceptions of sex and relationships, often substituting for formal sex education.
The inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia, received 81 submissions from various organizations, including the Catholic Women’s League NSW, the Council of Catholic School Parents, and women’s advocacy group Collective Shout. Public hearings, roundtables, and online surveys contributed to the comprehensive analysis of the issue. Experts emphasized that even “standard” non-violent pornography is not harmless, as repeated exposure can normalize harmful sexual attitudes, encourage addictive use, and contribute to behavioural aggression.
The report underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to protect children from early exposure to online pornography and to provide effective education and support systems to mitigate its harmful impacts.