It's normal to be curious about sex and this can lead to curiosity about porn. But it can be challenging to talk to ākonga about porn.
It's important to remind students that porn is a product for adult entertainment and isn't intended for young people.
Resources for educators
To support teachers to talk about pornography when delivering Relationships and Sexuality Education in class, the Ministry of Education and the Classification Office have developed a module about pornography. Visit Ka huri i te kōrero | Changing the conversations(external link) to access the full suite of resources.
The Ministry of Education provides helpful guidance to support Relationships and Sexuality Education for years 9–13. This programme focuses strongly on consensual, healthy and respectful relationships as being essential to student wellbeing. You can check it out here:
Classroom resources
The below additional resources are also useful to support conversations with young people about pornography:
- The Light Project(external link) have developed a series of resources to support educators with discussions about pornography, its impact and how to talk about pornography with youth.
- In The Know(external link) is a youth website (R13) with information, tools, tips, videos and support services for a wide range of porn-related and online sexual issues. It is also a great tool for educators to learn about relevant porn-related youth issues, strategies to respond and services to point students to.
Videos
- Talking about sex can feel awkward for many and porn even more so. Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office(external link) have created a video that empowers adults who may feel anxious or stuck and not know where to begin. It is packed with tips and tools and practical advice on how to have these conversations with young people.
- The Eggplant | Episode 4: Do What Derek Does(external link) is a drama-crime-comedy online web series to help young Kiwis safely navigate the Internet. This episode can be used discuss the unrealistic expectations that can arise from pornography.
- Feeling uncomfortable about something you’ve seen in porn?(external link) In The Know have video by rangatahi for rangatahi where they share their experiences with porn.