Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Willow and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Pornography and Healthy Relationships, and it fits into the unit, Media Influence: How can I look after myself? During this lesson, we are going to be talking about sexual violence and sensitive content.

So for this lesson we require you to have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important you stop the lesson and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe the laws around pornography and you'll be able to explain how pornography can cause harm.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go with some ground rules.

These helped make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If you want to share a story, we can refer to someone as my friend.

This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Next, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion.

We should never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob says, no judgment.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is pornography.

This is videos or images showing naked or semi-naked people engaging in sexual acts.

Illegal, this is when something is against the law.

Unrealistic, this is when something is not like real life.

And finally, addictive, this is something that can cause a loss of control, making you want to keep doing it even when it becomes harmful to you.

Today's lesson is split into two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called What are the laws around pornography, and our second learning cycle is called how can pornography be harmful? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle, what are the laws around pornography? Healthy relationships, whether intimate or not, share important values: honesty, equality, respect, trust, and communication.

Intimate means being close to someone emotionally and/or physically.

So physical intimacy can include holding hands, cuddling, kissing, or sexual acts.

These are all examples of physical intimacy.

Whether a relationship becomes intimate or not is always a choice.

You decide whether you want to have an intimate relationship, and if so, whether you're old enough and feel ready.

In any intimate relationship, consent is extremely important.

Consent means that everyone involved clearly agrees to sexual activity without any pressure.

Consent is freely given, can be withdrawn at anytime, and it requires understanding.

Consent should also be given enthusiastically, too.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing so far.

I'd like you to complete the sentence with the same missing word.

In any intimate relationship, blank is extremely important.

Blank means giving permission freely and by choice.

Where I've said the word blank, can you decide which word is missing? Well done if you said that the missing word was consent.

In any intimate relationship, consent is extremely important.

Consent means giving permission freely and by choice.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Young people often learn about relationships from friends, older siblings or cousins, parents or carers, school, medical professionals, a relationship partner, or the internet.

But Ms. Walsh says that it's important to remember that not all of these sources are reliable sources of what a relationship is like or what a relationship involves.

There is lots of information online about intimate relationships.

Some of these are reliable sources, such as the NHS or specific relationship charities.

Some young people may learn about intimate relationships mainly through pornography, which is not a realistic guide.

Pornography, often called just porn, shows sexual acts and videos or images.

It's made for adults as entertainment, not as education about real relationships.

Ms. Walsh explains that, "Although most pornography shows real people having sex, much of what young people encounter online is like watching actors in a film.

Many videos show actors following scripts with planned and stage scenes, rather than showing spontaneous, genuine relationships." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing so far.

Which of these is likely to be the most reliable source of information about relationships? A, friends at school; B, the NHS website or relationship charities; C, pornography websites; or D, social media posts.

Which of these is likely to be the most reliable source of information about relationships? What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct.

The NHS website or relationship charity websites are likely to be the most reliable source of information about relationships.

Well done if you said the same thing.

The UK law is very clear about viewing pornography.

So one of the laws around this is the Protection of Children Acts 1978.

It's not illegal for someone under 18 to view pornography.

However, UK law does make it completely illegal to create, share, or possess any sexual images of anyone under the age of 18.

Pornography is made for adults and it can be harmful for young people.

We're next going to talk about the Sexual Offenses Act 2003.

It's illegal for adults to show pornographic material to children.

This means that adults cannot sell, distribute, or show pornography to anyone under the age of 18.

This law also makes it illegal for anyone over the age of 18 to deliberately show pornographic material to someone under the age of 16.

Even if it happens by accident, it can still be against the law.

There's also the Digital Economy Act 2017, and this UK law requires pornography websites to check that users are over 18 before letting them access the content.

There's also the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and Online Safety Act 2023.

So the 2015 Act made it illegal to share private sexual images of someone without their permission.

This is sometimes called revenge porn or image-based abuse and it includes sharing photos or videos to embarrass or upset someone.

The 2023 Act made these protections even stronger.

Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

An adult sharing pornography with a person who is under 18 is illegal.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

An adult sharing pornography with a person who is under 18 is illegal.

Well done if you said the same thing.

If you encounter pornography unexpectedly, you cannot click on any suspicious links or attachments and you shouldn't forward these things to other people.

You can block accounts that post adult content and report them to the platform.

You can use safe search filters on your devices to prevent adult content from appearing unexpectedly, and you can always talk to a trusted adult if you see something upsetting or you have some questions.

Let's do another check for understanding, and this time I'd like you to finish this sentence.

One way to stay safe online is to: A, save all attachments that you are sent; B, turn on safe search internet filters; or C, forward links that you were sent for your friends to check.

What do you think? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct.

One way to stay safe online is to turn on safe search internet filters.

This can make it less likely to unexpectedly see explicit content online.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to your first practice task and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to consider each of these scenarios and decide for each whether it goes against the law or not.

One, John is 19 and he receives a pornographic link and he forwards it to Adam, 18.

Scenario two, Surina, who's 15, accidentally sees pornography through a pop-up while gaming.

And three, Mahdeen, who's 18, accidentally leaves his phone open with a pornographic image visible when his brother, who's age 16, enters the room.

For each of these scenarios, can you decide whether it goes against the law or not? Pause the video and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For scenario one with John receiving a pornographic link and forwarding it to Adam who's 18, you might have said that, no, this is not illegal.

A law hasn't been broken as both people are over 18.

For scenario two with Surina, who's 15, accidentally seeing pornography through a pop-up while gaming.

No, this is not illegal either.

A law hasn't been broken.

It was accidental for her to see this pornography online.

And finally, with Mahdeen, who's 18, accidentally leaving his phone open with a pornographic image visible when his brother, who's 16, entered the room.

Yes, this is illegal.

Although it's not intentional, Mahdeen has caused someone under 18 to view pornography.

Well done if your answers were something like this.

For the next part of this task, I'd like you to decide what each person might do in response to each scenario.

Pause the video and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For scenario one with John and Adam, you might have said that no action is needed, but if Adam doesn't want to be sent these images, he could speak to John about it and how he's feeling.

For scenario two with Surina, you might have said that Surina might tell a trusted adult and use safe search to block these pop-ups.

And finally, for scenario three with Mahdeen, you might have said that Mahdeen should talk to a trusted adult about what's happened so they know what his brother saw.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, and well done for your hard work so far.

This learning cycle is called how can pornography be harmful? It's important to understand that pornography is made for entertainment and doesn't necessarily show what real-life relationships are like.

While some content does show communication, respect, and consent between partners, much of what's commonly viewed online focuses on performance, rather than showing how healthy relationships work in everyday life.

So for example, healthy relationships involve showing respect for each other, but pornography often shows one person using insults or treating the other person aggressively or violently.

Healthy relationships involve feelings and emotional connection, but pornography often shows only sexual acts and sexual body parts, not emotions.

Healthy relationships involve equality between partners and consent, but pornography often shows inequality or exaggerated stereotypes.

And healthy relationships involve sex being personal and private, but pornography often shows exaggerated scenes which are made to seem more exciting.

Regular pornography viewing can be harmful because it creates unrealistic expectations about sex and people's bodies.

It can make people view partners as objects rather than people.

It may increase focus on sex and sexual acts, affecting other interests, and it doesn't always show the importance of communication and consent in a healthy relationship.

Pornography can also wrongly present violence as normal.

Pornography often presents some activities as normal that are actually really dangerous or uncommon in healthy relationships.

Many people don't and will never engage in these activities, and some can cause serious emotional or physical harm.

So for example, some pornography includes dangerous practices like strangulation, often referred to as choking, or suffocation.

These activities are extremely risky and they can lead to serious injury or even death, even when someone thinks that they're being careful.

They can also be illegal.

Police officer Paula explains that, "If you see content that makes you uncomfortable or shows potentially harmful activities, remember that pornography doesn't show what most people do in real-life healthy relationships.

It's important to talk to a trusted adult if you have any questions or concerns." Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

If pornography shows activities that look dangerous or make you feel uncomfortable, what should you remember? A, that these activities are completely normal and safe for everyone to try; B, that most healthy relationships don't include dangerous activities like strangulation and suffocation; or finally, C, pornography always shows the safest ways to be intimate with someone.

So, if pornography shows activities that look dangerous or make you feel uncomfortable, what should you remember? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you remembered that B is the correct answer.

It's important to remember that most healthy relationships don't include dangerous activities like strangulation and suffocation.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Pornography actors often have unrealistic appearances.

They may be chosen for larger than average body parts.

Many of them completely remove their body hair.

Filming or editing techniques make performances seem longer or more intense than in reality and this can make viewers worry unnecessarily about their own typical, healthy bodies.

Let's do another check for understanding, and this time I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

Pornography is always a realistic representation of intimate relationships and typical body types.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why? You might have said that pornography may not show the same values as healthy real-life relationships.

For example, it may show aggression or violence.

Actors may also have unrealistic appearances.

Well done if you said this or if you had something similar.

Watching pornography can also be addictive.

The more that someone watches it, the more that they may want to watch it.

If someone is worried about their viewing habits, they can talk to a trusted adult like a parent, a carer, or even a medical professional.

They can speak to their school counselor, their Designated Safeguarding Lead, often called a DSL, or pastoral care team.

Every school will have a DSL.

They can also seek advice from reliable sources, like the NHS or relationship charities such as Brook.

These are often available online and anonymously, which means that you can often get support without disclosing who you are.

You can also contact helplines like Childline for anonymous advice.

And it's also important to remember that you can also use website blocking tools or parental controls to limit access to pornography or other explicit content online.

Ms. Walsh reminds us that asking for help shows strength and not weakness.

Many people experience concerns about their online habits, and support is available.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to identify whether each statement is true or false.

I'd like you to indicate your answers with a tick if it's true or a cross if it's false.

A, Pornography can be addictive, but support is available; B, Pornography always teaches about healthy relationships; C, Pornography can affect how people view body image; or finally, D, Pornography creates unrealistic expectations of sex.

For each of these statements decide whether it's true or false, and if you think it's true give it a tick or if you think that it's false put a cross instead.

Pause the video and we'll go through the correct answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For statement A, Pornography can be addictive, but support is available.

This should have a tick next to it because it is true.

For the second statement, "Pornography always teaches about healthy relationships." This should have a cross next to it because it's false.

Statement C, Pornography can affect how people view body image.

This should have a tick next to it because it's true.

And finally, statement D, Pornography creates unrealistic expectations of sex.

This should have a tick next to it because it is true.

Well done if you had the correct answers for this task.

We're now moving on to our final practice task and well done for your hard work in this lesson.

I'd like you to read the case study about how a young person develops an unhealthy relationship with pornography.

Then, I'd like you to answer the questions.

So here's our case study.

When Femi was 13, he accidentally came across pornographic content online.

He felt uncomfortable, but he was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it.

Over time, he began seeking out this type of content regularly.

This affected how he viewed relationships and his own body image, and he began treating female classmates disrespectfully based on what he was viewing.

Here are the questions I'd like you to answer.

So number one, what could Femi have done when he first encountered the content? And number two, what harm resulted from Femi's regular viewing of pornography? What do you think? Pause the video and we'll go through some model answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

So question one, what could Femi have done when he first encountered the content? You might have said that he could have talked to a trusted adult like a parent, carer, teacher, DSL, remember this is a Designated Safeguarding Lead, or school counselor about what he saw and how it made him feel.

He could have blocked the social media account that posted the link and he could have reported it for breaking the rules.

He could have turned on safe search internet filters and website blocking tools on his digital device.

He could have contacted a helpline like Childline for anonymous advice and support, and he could have visited reliable websites like the NHS or Brook for information about what he had seen.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

And for the second question, what harm resulted from Femi's regular viewing of pornography? You might have said that he developed addictive viewing habits that he couldn't control, that he became self-conscious by his body image, that he began treating his female classmates disrespectfully, and that he started to have unrealistic expectations about relationships.

Well done if your answers were anything like this.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that an adult sharing pornography with a person who is under 18 is illegal.

Creating and sharing sexual images of under-18s is always illegal.

That healthy relationships are based on honesty, equality, respects, trust, and communication.

We've learned that pornography is unrealistic entertainment that often doesn't show these healthy values.

And finally, we've learned that regular viewing can be harmful and addictive, affecting real-life relationships about self-image.

And we've learned that help is available for anyone concerned about their viewing habits.

In today's lesson you might have found that you've got some worries or questions.

And if you do, it's really important that you get support.

There's some resources on the screen that are there to help you, and it's important to remember that you can talk to a trusted adult as well.

Well done for your hard work in today's lesson.

I hope to see you again soon.