Is it appropriate or legal to allow a 9 year old to watch porn?

Personally, I do not think it is appropriate, because a child tht age is not yet mature enough to recognize his own sexuality.

Completely immoral and damaging to healthy sexual development.

Although I may not agree with porn being viewed by a child I don’t see the need to hide and shelter children from all things sexual.
If we were a little more open about sex with children I think it might do them more good than harm in some cases.

I don’t know about the legality, but I don’t think it is appropriate. I agree that what you teach about sexuality should correspond to the maturity level of the child.

Why in the world would someone ever consider letting a 9 year old watch porn? There is just no reason for this whatsoever. I find it apalling too, Judi. And disgusting also.

Absolutely inappropriate. Seeing nudity is one thing. Even (accidentally) seeing love-making is different. Outright porn should never be shown to children.

i can’t believe how many people are still up this late!

@Judi Us newcomers tend to do our best work late at night ;)

@Kelly27. Some of us old timers do too. =)

what other question??

A 9 year old shouldn’t porn. Not appropriate at all. Nudity is different though.

@Bluefreedom That makes me very happy :)
I love late night discussions.

I live in Australia and it is the middle of the afternoon!

I personally find pornography degrading to the person performing in the photo or movie and I think it is degrading to the watcher as well. How can there ever be equality when half of the population views the other half as a couple of anatomical parts instead of an entire human being. I think it is sad that women don’t have more self esteem than to make themselves into an object to be used.

Anyhow, definitely no good for a child, gives male children the wrong idea about the value of women and gives female children the idea that they are nothing but objects to be used by males.

If you think that is okay, you shouldn’t have children.

I’m torn. I don’t think it’s the end of the world if a child sees porn. I don’t know just how harmful it would be for a child to see porn – for ages upon ages, children were exposed to the topic of sexuality from a very young age. They turned out okay.

I’m currently taking a course on eroticism and it’s really challenging my perspectives on sexuality. I say this as something of a disclaimer: I haven’t fully defined where I stand on this issue. There is a part of me that says it’s very wrong, and there’s a part of me that believes that a lot of society’s problems could be fixed if sexuality wasn’t suppressed through taboo. Age and the development of a child is something that I don’t really understand (except through my own experiences), so I’m not sure I can comment on it.

I’m sure you’re all disgusted about what I said on the other question. My comment there was about the comparison to this issue to child abuse. I think that it may be inappropriate, but you cannot accuse the parent in the situation of child abuse if you do not know all of the details of their situation.

okay, are we talking about a child wathcing porn, or a parent leaving out a dvd case, and the kid can see it??

Not at all.

Twice when I was 8 I found during recess a single page torn from a porn magazine that was stuck on one of those windbreak trees. Naturally, I shared it with all of the boys and we tore it into pieces like piranhas. Then, when I was 9 I saw squiggly, intercepted-cable porn. I had no idea what I was watching and no idea what that pain in my crotch was.

I’m not for showing it to kids. It’s better when you earn it.

Hmmmmm… One thing I never considered was the violence and misrepresentation of women in porn. Must think about this more. Pornography is not a healthy way to experience sex.

@kevbo – “Earn it”?

You know what? I’m thinking pre-internet. Silly me.

@shadling21 I don’t think gets should be taught that sex is taboo at all. I’ve been quite open with my kids about it all along. I do portray it as a loving act, though, and porn doesn’t exactly convey that feeling. I’m also not against porn – with and for adults.

NO! NO! NOOOOO! geeeeeze NO! when i read the question i just wanted to scream NO!

i think i could go on and on as to why you should not “allow” as in hand over porn to a child. esp a child who has not even begun to reach sexual maturity.

nudity should be introduced to children, but DEFIANTLY NOT in the form of porn!
porn has so many cultural standards of sex that are just plain fake. they can be damaging to adults (i.e. thinking all women like to be ejaculated on their face) and it can be a billions times more harmful to children who have no way to distinguish the fake images from reality.

in the event that a child should accidentally come across porn (at home on tv at a friends etc.) those should be taken as teaching opportunities for parents to explain what sex is, and that it is ok when two adults who love each other do (and etc)

as for legality. i am not positive, and i could probably dive into this deeper, but i seriously doubt that it is legal. (it seems to me like “child porn” in a different form)

What about the legality of it? Could it be considered child abuse? O certainly think so bit others seem to disagree.

the “abuse” would have to be determined by the situation. we would not accuse a parent of abuse if the child gained access to a locked cabinet. but if an adult is watching it while the kid does homework…

just like “neglect” and an excessively filthy home can be child abuse, allowing a child to watch porn, definitely has potential to be child abuse. different cases are at the court’s digression. the fact that the legislature has made it a point to use the law to protect children more than adults, such a case could definitely be prosecuted.

I would think it falls under contributing to the delinquency of a minor (I’m not positive if that would cover it) but I would definitely call it child abuse. As the question is phrased anyway, allowing a child to view it is one thing,them catching a glimpse is another.

This was the question that prompted this one, for those of you who asked.

NO!

I have a very strong feeling about this. It is absolutely inappropriate. Unfortunately, I know of at least two different households in my town that allow their children to watch porn (I know these kids had access when they were as young as 10years old) and I have to say these kids are more than willing to go out and try what they have seen. They also have the most horrible attitudes toward their bodies and women. That has allot to do with the attitudes of their families I’m sure (who showed them and/or allowed them have access to the porn to begin with). From a legal point, here anyway, it is not against the law nor was it considered contributing to the delinquency of a minor. This even after one of the children was caught having sex with another child and also selling themselves to older teens for blow jobs. The parents were not held accountable. I imagine that would be different state to state.

Unless the 9-year-old in question possesses exceptional maturity or is viewing the pornographic material very rarely with their parents explaining it (as bizarre a situation as that may sound I would deem it atleast reasonable when compared to the alternative) it is inappropriate to allow said child to view pornography with their parents consent (obviously it’s inappropriate even without their parents consent but aside from internet safety features and a degree of parental supervision there is little that can be done in this regard) as during that time in the childs physical and cognitive development the affects of strongly sexual activity being witnessed are unpredictable and potentially detrimental to them.
The legality of allowing a minor to watch pornography (in the UK, US and Australia (these being the countries legal situations on the topic I am aware of)) is extremely dependant upon the circumstances. The case can literally rest upon the mindset of the parents or guardians and the moral inclinations of the judge or jury (if in the US). However even with this taken into account if the defendant/s were found guilty of child abuse it would typically be taken as a very minor account of the crime and punished accordingly with a light punishment such as a fine. Aside from crimes related to child abuse the parent/s in question would very likely be charged on the childs behalf for watching something that’s specifically designed for those of a particular age, usually 18 or 21.

Do you mean actual porn or just nudity?
I think pornography, no, but if there happens to be nudity in something I don’t see anything wrong with that. Nudity is more natural than violence—and yet people have no problem letting their children watch all manner of violence.

Yikes… holy typo batman!

*gets = children in my second post, above.

@augustlan I simply thought you had a southern English accent Augustlan: “I don’t think them lil gets (gits) should be taught that sex is taboo at all” ;)

NOBODY should view porn. Sex for recreation outside of a loving marriage was never God’s design. God created sex as a great thing for a married man and woman to enjoy (see Song of Solomon)...and a means to an end also.

It’s downright wrong and immoral and (insert any other p*ssed off wording here) to show it to a child. There should be NO answers with “Unless the child is” or “IF the child is mature…” or whatever.

NEVER.

Nobody should ever have sex ever!!!!!

No, just kidding. @atlJanie‘s comment was just so judgy, and as a gay man, I take offense to it. I don’t want this thread to devolve into one of Fluther’s many questions regarding sexual orientation / THE GAY LIFESTYLE, because there are plenty of those. Let’s just say that I’m not ready to resign myself to a lifetime of lies and deception, nor to chastity.

Children should not be given porn at that age, because as everyone has noted, they’re not using it for pleasure, but for sex ed. And in the freewheeling, misogynistic, condomless world of porn, there are no consequences. Kids will do a certain amount of “self-education” (like @kevbo mentioned), but that is more about coming of age and about the novelty of adult entertainment than it is about getting your porn fix.

@atlJanie: Poor, poor you. Fluther really isn’t about judgments. You could have answered the question and spared us the bible thumps. I mean, honestly.

@atlJanie Sex for recreation outside of a loving marriage was never God’s design. God created sex as a great thing for a married man and woman to enjoy

That line of thinking is orders of magnitude worse than p0rn , instilling it in children should be considered child abuse as it will cause them problems latter in life.

@teirem1 I have to say these kids are more than willing to go out and try what they have seen

Na p0rn isn’t that interesting to the prepubesent crowd, I had satellite TV growing up, would change the channel when I came across it, scary movies were worse, gave me nightmares.

It became educational around puberty where I would try stuff out, nothing wrong with that as I had an adult-like body.

I will spare you all my opinion on porn, but for a 9 year old, I can’t shout it loud enough NO! Totally, totally wrong. I don’t think it should even be up for discussion.

Should someone who knows about it report it to Child Protective Serviices (It’s on the shelf with nemo and child acknowledges watching it. ) Heres the thread again

Absolutely not. A 9-year-old does not know how to intellectually or emotionally understand this at all.

No. At 6, when I accidentally came upon plain old vanilla porn in the 1970s (a friend’s dad had some stashed in a closet), I was completely bewildered. I can’t imagine what a child coming upon today’s super-hardcore stuff would go through.

I asked a question not long ago regarding an accidental porn clip being shown during the superbowl. The clip that showed wasn’t even a hardcore scene, but I still think it could affect young kids.
Nudity is one thing. We all have private parts, and kids shouldn’t be kept in the dark regarding their own body.
Porn on the other hand goes way beyond the necessary information a child should have. I can’t believe a parent would to think a child is capable to handle the pictures they are seeing. That’s like saying your child should go to a strip club because breasts and vaginas are natural.
I would definately consider this poor parenting, but I don’t know if it’s illegal. It should be.

Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent.[1][2] In addition to direct sexual contact, child sexual abuse also occurs when an adult indecently exposes their genitalia to a child, asks or pressures a child to engage in sexual activities, displays pornography to a child, or uses a child to produce child pornography

Child sexual abuse can result in both short-term and long-term harm, including psychopathology in later life.[9][22] Psychological, emotional, physical, and social effects include depression,[5][23][24] post-traumatic stress disorder,[6][25] anxiety,[7] eating disorders, poor self-esteem, dissociative and anxiety disorders; general psychological distress and disorders such as somatization, neurosis, chronic pain,[24] sexualized behavior,[26] school/learning problems; and behavior problems including substance abuse,[27][28] destructive behavior, criminality in adulthood and suicide
Wikipedia

It’s illegal and inappropriate!!!

Well, then. I think I’ve decided. Porn: no. Healthy, balanced sexual education when the child is ready (whenever that may be): yes.

I think the main problem is that pornography is designed to titillate, whereas sexual education is designed to… well.. educate.

I saw my friend’s dad’s Playboys when I was in the single digits. It didn’t ruin me or anything. That same friend’s mother let us watch all sorts of sex scenes in rate R movies, and I think I’m fine. Now, actual porn movies may have more of an impact on a youngster. Depending on how graphic and strange that particular movie gets would determine how grossed out or traumatized or interested that kid becomes by it. I agree with whoever above said it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I do think we should do our best to let our children be children. If my kid asks about porn because he heard someone at school talking about it, I’d explain to him what it is, but I certainly wouldn’t put him in front of redtube dot com (I don’t intend to link the actual website).

@SeventhSense All those symptoms seem like things that anyone can go through in any situation, caused by any confounding variables during or after their adolescent lives.

Of course many symptoms can point to different causes but the preponderance of evidence supports the thesis in this case.

It should not be shown to children. I’m thinking it could fall into some abuse category – according to DSS – but I’m not sure what category it could fall into. In our household, sex is not a taboo subject, if a question is asked, we answer it, but to sit the kids down and say, “Come on kids, let’s watch a porn!” No way. At nine, can you imagine the impact that watching a porn can have on a child? They are still shaping their ideas of men and women, to show them a porn, to me, gives them the wrong idea of how relations work and yes, how sex is between two people. They might not get that those are actors that are being paid to have sex together.

Sex, in and of itself is not a bad thing. Porn is an individual adult choice – meaning an adult deciding whether to watch it or not. But a child? No way. Children are pushed into things faster than they ever have been – types of clothing, what they watch and see. What is permissible on television. Children need to be children and not have adult situations pushed on them, too early in life.

To me, yes, it should be illegal. It should be seen as a form of child abuse.

Not appropriate and not legal – children are not consenting adults.

@cak
Hey kids! Let’s watch porn..it’s so crazy that we even discuss this.
Can you say the fall of Rome?

@SeventhSense – yep! what are people thinking? Craziness!

I’d report it. No question.

I don’t see how anyone could think it’s okay. I say, to anyone who does think it’s okay, what if the porn the child was watching was one of the extremely creepy ones where a grown man is fantasizing about and acting out having sex with a minor? How could that be harmless?

I think for nine yo’s to watch porn it’s a very bad idea. However, I think it’s a good idea to talk to children about sex BEFORE they go into puberty. Explain how things work, why and how. Kids are not stupid, but will understand and in this age they wont be uncomfortable about their own sexuality since they don’t have one really.

But porn? That’s just wrong. Where would a nine yo benefit from watching women with dripping faces.

I remember watching M.A.S.H. sometimes when I was 7–8 years old and I remember that I thought it was very serious and awful things happened there. It wasn’t until I became much older my maturity allowed me to understand that it was funny as well. What a 9 year old sees watching porn is without reference and maturity, and what he or she will conclude from that experience can only be misguiding.

Totally appalling. There is nothing wrong with sex, but porn is a whole different animal.

watch? they should act in it!

(just kidding)

In Canada, this is neither legal nor appropriate. It is grounds for social workers to take custody of your children.

illegal yes. I personally feel children should be taught everything they need to know about sex, and maybe shown the difference between real love making and porn and explain it to them so they can understand

HELL NO

Parents that would allow their children to watch porn are SICK. Just the thought is making me throw up in my mouth.

Yes but not because it is sex. Sex per se wouldn’t be an unsuitable sight for a child of any age, we do have a grasp of how sex works regardless, thanks to our reproductive instincts. I’d say it is inappropriate because it gives a skewed view of sex which adults can recognise as “over the top” but children can’t, and i think this might skew the child’s whole perspective on sex, we might never know since i doubt this will be a test subject anytime soon.

I find it Fascinating that at nine it’s Dreadful and Horrible but when I asked about an eleven yr old boy everyone said it’s ok, it’s normal.
Where’s the credibility?