Your Girls are Watching Porn

For over 20 years, I’ve spoken across the country to parents about Internet dangers, and it seems they keep a closer eye on what their boys are doing online than their girls. I guess it’s understandable. When it comes to online porn, most parents think it’s something that their boys would get into, but not their girls. Well, the numbers tell a different story. Nelisen/NetRating says that 1 in 3 visitors to adult websites are women. Over 60% of women report using porn monthly. In the U.S., 47% of female teens ages 14-18 have viewed porn online. Has the conventional thinking about girls and porn been blown out of the water?

I think this topic is important because I don’t want parents to leave their daughters behind when it comes to Internet porn. Daughters can slip through the cracks as parents think about what Johnny is doing on his phone or computer, but not Jenny. As I talk to parents at my seminars, one thing I bring is a 35-page report listing 67 teachers who have had sex with their students. Why? Because in this report, the teachers are all female, and it illustrates my point about girls and porn. It seems like every few months you hear another story of a female teacher who has been caught having sex with one of her students. Parents need to be aware that they can’t think they don’t have to keep a close eye on what their child is doing online because she’s a girl. It doesn’t matter what sex they are. A Focus on the Family article said, “Sex addiction is not limited to men. Those who research addiction believe there are as many female addicts as males; it’s just that few have yet been courageous enough to seek treatment.”

Parents, don’t ignore your daughter’s online activities. Jenny may be visiting more porn sites than Johnny.