More than half of boys first watch porn aged 10-13
More than 53% of boys in Ireland first encountered pornography between the ages of 10 and 13, compared to 23% of girls the same age group, a new study shows.
A nationwide survey of college students, co-ordinated by NUI Galway, also reveals that male students are four times more likely than females to watch porn a number of times a week.
The findings are contained in a report on sexual consent among third-level students that highlights the impact of binge drinking, as well as pornography, on the sexual behaviour of young people when they leave home.
Carried out by the NUIG Smart Consent research team in collaboration with four other colleges, it shows that just over one-third of male and almost a quarter of female students learned how to engage in sexual intimacy by watching porn.
The overwhelming majority of those who took part said they found that the sex education they received in school was of little value. In a survey of 2,150 students, 71% of women and 63% of men said they were dissatisfied with the sexual health education they received at school.
The research, led by NUI Galway lecturer Padraig MacNeela, also looks at the effect of heavy drinking on the issue of consent and reveals that the majority of both female and male students are subjected to sexual harassment and unwanted sexual activity. It also found gay and bisexual students are more likely than their heterosexual peers to seek consent before engaging in sexual activity.
The report builds on a programme of research since 2013 that has explored the meaning of consent among college students, tested the effectiveness of the Smart Consent workshop, and surveyed students on sexual consent, sexual behaviours and attitudes.
The study shows students’ understanding of consent greatly improves once they take part in the workshops.
The Smart Consent workshop is strongly associated with students feeling knowledgeable and skilled about sexual consent,” said Siobhán O’Higgins.
“The discussion and peer engagement strategies we use mean it is a workshop, not a class. We encourage students to find their own positive approach to consent, but also know that a full response to this issue involves action outside workshops too, to change the culture in college and society”.
The report is to be launched today by minister of state for higher education Mary Mitchel O’Connor.
She described the report as a “timely piece of research, given that the National Council on Curriculum and Assessment is carrying out a major review of the relationships and sexuality curriculum”.
