GROUNDBREAKING research suggests children as young as eight should be exposed to pornography literacy education in schools.

University of Melbourne researchers say it should be compulsory for primary school students around the country to learn about pornography in a supervised environment, rather than online, either intentionally or accidentally.

The advice stems from a study of young people who had sexually abused other children. In some cases, the incidents were triggered by pornography.

All of the young people interviewed were between 11 and 14 when they abused other children. The study was released on Thursday.

Lead author Gemma McKibbin told AAP there was a definitive link between pornography and abuse.

“(Porn) played almost a causative role in the behaviour,” she said.

“They would watch pornography and act out what they had seen on a little cousin, niece or sister.”

She told the ABC’s PM program the children she interviewed were treated sensitively on a subject that was very confronting.

“We approached the young people as experts in their own life experience of being sexually abusive (and) we didn’t minimise or condone their behaviour,” she said.

“We wanted to really understand what could’ve been different for them so that they didn’t carry out that behaviour, so that we could protect other children from having to have that same experience.”

She said the vast majority of abusers had lived through sexual abuse themselves, or had an intellectual disability. She said they had received education after the fact and would’ve benefited from exposure in a safe environment at a younger age.



“They talked about needing messages much earlier in their about issues around age and consent and incest. Sexually abusive behaviour peaks at around the age of 12 and often we don’t think that kids need lessons about sex until maybe mid high school.

“They’re needing messages from ... at least the age of eight. They didn’t know there were rules about not having sexual relations with family members.”

The Melbourne University policy paper recommends government regulation target the pornography and telecommunications industries.

Ms McKibbin says a national approach to child sex abuse prevention needs to be a priority.

It’s not the first time the idea has been floated but experts are split on whether it’s appropriate.

Deb Ollis from Deakin University said “deconstructing porn is a good (idea), but we don’t have to use porn to deconstruct it”.

Maree Crabbe, a sex education specialist from Alice Springs, says students would become “embarrassed, aroused or upset and have a trauma response” if confronted with porn in the classroom.

“I don’t think we need to show the imagery, but I do think we need to talk about the imagery. Indeed, I think we can’t afford not to, otherwise we’re leaving too much of young people’s sexuality education to the pornography industry.”

— With AAP