The WA Government has announced funding for a new education program which aims to curb the influence of pornography on young people’s understanding of consent, sex, and relationships.
Research shows that early exposure to pornography can negatively influence young people’s attitudes and practices about gender roles, identities, and relationships.
A 2024 survey by Our Watch found that the average age of exposure to pornography was around 13 years for both boys and girls.
The new program called The Gist, is set to be delivered by the Burnet Institute via a $150,000 grant allocated through the Women’s Grants for a Stronger Future Program.
“This innovative new education program has been developed through co-design research and aims to curb the influence of pornography on young people by giving them the skills to recognise and critically challenge harmful content,” said Women Minister, Simone McGurk.
“A 2024 survey by Our Watch found that the average age of exposure to pornography was around 13 years for both boys and girls.
“It is crucial we give young people alternative information about sex and relationships in the context of online pornography and other media.”
The Gist will provide information about sex, relationships, and gender norms in the context of online pornography. The Minister said it encourages critical discussion to help young people identify and challenge harmful messages.
Topics include consent, healthy relationships, how pornography differs from real life, sexting, camming and other sex-tech interactions, sextortion, deepfakes, artificial intelligence-generated porn, gender and sexuality diversity, as well as safe sex.
It will be delivered in youth and education settings via workshops by trained educators, complemented by an online platform that provides additional resources.
