What is it?
Online pornography (porn) can be text, an image or a video that is sexually explicit. For example, this could include a photo of someone naked or a video of people having sex.
It is perfectly natural for you to be curious about sex and relationships. However, it is a topic that many people feel uncomfortable talking about with an adult. Watching porn can be a way to explore and learn about sex and relationships without involving anyone else.
But it is very important to remember that porn is intended to be seen by adults, and most of the time it does not show what sex is actually like in real life.
Is it legal?
Watching and sharing pornography is usually not illegal but there are certain exceptions:
- Violent pornography – online content of physical abuse or rape
- Child pornography – sexting is considered child pornography if the content includes anyone under the age of 18
- Revenge pornography – revenge porn means the posting of images/videos of an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend online without their consent as a way to get back at them for something. If you are a victim of revenge porn you should report this to the Police
- Child abuse – if an adult causes, encourages, arranges or facilitates child pornography
You should never feel pressured to view online pornography. If you feel you have been pressured to do this you should tell an adult that you trust.
