Aware there is ample evidence that a great number of young people have accessed harmful pornography online.
Aware that according to psychologists, viewing pornography is more addictive than drugs and alcohol.
Aware research shows that viewing pornography can lead to an acceptance of violent and unhealthy attitudes towards sex and relationships, where women are treated as sex objects and aggressive sexual behaviour is regarded as normal – pornography is a poor sex educator.
Concerned that it is currently the responsibility of parents to control their children's viewing and use parental controls to switch off pornography sites into homes. However this can be costly and complicated and many parents are unaware of the content and effect of pornography on their children.
Aware not all parents are computer literate and each generation is more knowledgeable than the previous one; often busy parents are unable to keep up with the technology.
Concerned the onus is all on the parents to take responsibility; while this is the ideal it is not realistic and society has a responsibility to protect children too.
THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN is deeply concerned about the physical, mental and moral harm internet pornography could have on children and wishing to protect them in their own home, calls on affiliated councils and the United Nations, to urge governments to make it compulsory for Internet Service Providers to block pornography at source so that pornography can only be accessed by an adult exercising an active choice.
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Source: International Council of Women (ICW-CIF) — 33rd General Assembly, Seoul, Republic of Korea, September 2012. Resolution No. 5.
