Study shows pornography exposure begins as early as age 14

PETALING JAYA: A study which found that children in Malaysia begin watching pornography as young as 14, has recommended that screening for exposure start during the secondary schooling years.

According to the study carried out in 2021, there was a high prevalence of pornography exposure among Malaysian college students, especially males.

The study, which was conducted with 986 college students in Penang, aged 18 to 25, found that the prevalence of lifetime pornography exposure among students stood at 74.5%.

Among those surveyed, this was predominant among male students, of whom 71.7%, or 527, were exposed to porn, compared to 28.3%, or 208, of female students.

It found that being a male is an independent risk factor for lifetime Internet exposure, with many of those who frequently watched pornography more than once a month beginning at about 14 years old.

The study said easy access to pornographic materials at home facilitated this activity, while gender and perceived realism determined their pornographic exposure.

It was also found that most of the pornography users obtained the materials for free from the Internet and used them alone at home.

Besides finding that males had higher odds of exposure, the study also said that those who perceived pornography as real had lower odds of having pornographic exposure.

The study also said parental monitoring of online access and planning structured activities to occupy free time were recommended at an early age.

“Based on these findings and public health interest, policymakers may want to consider performing screening for pornography exposure as early as during secondary schooling years to render appropriate intervention and prevent untoward complications, including pornography addiction and unsafe sexual activity.

“Parents also need to be aware of the need to control Internet use among their children, as unsupervised use might expose them to pornography,” the study recommended.

It also suggested that college administrators and non-governmental organisations might want to increase structured programmes and activities involving youths to reduce their free time alone at home viewing or reading pornographic materials.

The study was done by researchers from the Sungai Dua Health Clinic and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Family Medicine Department.