We need to follow UK’s lead and filter content

Mary Crilly is unequivocal: she wants to see porn filters being put in place in this country, similar to what is being planned in the UK.

In the UK, internet service providers will have to provide filters by default. The householders who leave the filter unchanged will not be able to access online material that is classified as inappropriate for those under the age of 18.

“Teenagers don’t need to go looking for it anymore, it comes to them, they are vulnerable and it is our jobs as adults to protect them from the dangers of porn,” says Crilly, director of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre. “Leaving them unfiltered access to the internet, is like opening the door to a house and not knowing who you are letting in.

“A lot of teenagers are confused by it and what they are learning there about sex and relationships isn’t normal,” says Crilly. “The teenagers often don’t know what to do with the message it is teaching them, they are overwhelmed.”

In her work, young girls have disclosed to Crilly how their boyfriends are asking them to watch porn with them. “Most at risk from the downside of social media is the quiet kid with poor social skills and low confidence, the kid who doesn’t have confidence to say no when an older guy asks her to watch something or to send a picture of herself with no top on,” she says. “They’ll be told ‘Don’t be a prude’, or ‘I’ll tell everyone that you’re frigid’,” she says.

Crilly says most boys will acquiesce if a girl says no to a sexual request but unfortunately, others won’t. Likewise, most boys, she says, will naturally be aroused by porn but won’t necessarily watch it to the extent that they want to sexually assault somebody.

But for Crilly, there is nothing to be learned from porn. “Porn isn’t about healthy relationships. It is abusive and exploitative”.

She is also adamant that it’s not up to the Government alone to protect children from porn. Parents, teachers and the community all have a role to play. In post primary schools, she says, discussions around pornography are practically an addendum to the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum.

“As a society, we’re not discussing the dangers of porn, it’s always bottom of the list. It’s not until it is an issue in a court case or something that it is acknowledged. That is typical of Irish society, do nothing, say nothing until something big happens.”