Young kids relying on porn for sex education

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The study interviewed 140 pupils, teachers and people working in the porn industry and found that the average age at which children first watch pornography is just 11.

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According to Australian researchers Maree Crabbe and David Corlett, children were turning to adult films because schools were not handling the positive aspects of sex.u00a0"Discussion of sex and intimacy is too often avoided in schools," the Telegraph quoted the researchers as saying.

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"Porn has become a cultural mediator in how young people are understanding and experience sex. Porn is our most prominent sex educator," they noted.u00a0The Times Educational Supplement divulged that children who took part in the research said it was common for young people to watch pornography.

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"A lot of what I know about sex is because of porn," a teenage boy told the researchers.u00a0"Growing up, watching porn - that's sort of where you get your grasp of what's normal and what's not," another kid said.

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Mary Clegg, chair of the British Association of Sexual Educators, also agreed that there was a loophole in sex education at schools.u00a0"A lot of our sex education is based on a don't-do model. But young people are hungry for more explicit information. They're curious and they're hormone-driven," she said.u00a0Pupils also apparently believe that sexual practices shown in porn were normal features of sexual relationships.