The Moment YOUR Child Sees Pornography: How to Prepare

Every child will see pornography. After years of studying the impact of pornography on children and its widespread availability, I am convinced of this. Still, most parents optimistically hold to the “not my child” belief. But that’s not what the stats tell us. And with perpetual technological advances, the numbers will only increase. As parents, we must prepare for our children to see pornography.

But how can we prepare? I regularly present publicly on this topic, in an attempt to both warn and prepare parents for what may lie ahead in their children’s experience with pornography. There any many options in the area of prevention, yet, this still does not guarantee protection. As I share in my presentations, we must protect our children both externally and internally.

While I am unable to share all of my suggestions now, let me direct caring parents to a few great resources:

Children, Teens, and Parents – LifeSTAR Resource Page

What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew When Addressing the Issue of Pornography

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids

The Guideline: A Parent’s Guide to Addressing Pornography with Children

Why Schools Fail to Protect Kids Online (free download of 10 Things Every Parent Must Learn About Their Child’s Digital Education)

Educate Empower Kids

Internet Safety 101

I know education is a crucial start and I’ve heard stories like this one that reveal this:

“Just wanted to say thank you for this night, this topic, this information. On Forest’s recommendation, we bought the book “Good Pictures, Bad Pictures,” read it with our kids, and learned that at 9 (daughter) and 7 (son), our kids have both already viewed pornographic images. This allowed us to have a discussion we would not have even thought to have! Thank you!”

If you live locally and want to attend one of these presentations, stay tuned (follow blog) for announcements of future talks. The next scheduled talks are December 2 (parents) & 9 (teens and up) at North Fresno Church. Also, for teenagers addicted to pornography, I have created a treatment program based on my expertise in this field. YouthSTAR of the Central Valley is a great resource for struggling teenagers. Additional YouthSTAR program are available in other locations.

There is much we can do to both protect and prepare our children for their fight against pornography. For continual information and updates on this Movement, please join us on Facebook and check out our friends at the National Center of Sexual Exploitation. Also, I would love to hear how any of this information has benefited you and those you love. It is my courageous conviction that we can change the course of history for our children. Let’s start today.

-Written by Forest Benedict, MA, SATP-C, LMFT, Clinical Director of LifeSTAR of the Central Valley If you benefited from this article, please “follow” us on this blog and on Twitter, “like” us on Facebook, and SHARE this article and blog with others. Thank you!