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Parents Urged to Protect Boys from Early Exposure to Pornography

By: , June 23, 2014

The Key Point:

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) is urging parents, especially fathers, to protect their boys from exposure to pornography at an early age.
Parents Urged to Protect Boys from Early Exposure to Pornography
Chairman of the National Family Planning Board (NFPB), Dr. Sandra Knight (centre), speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’ on the topic: ‘Daddy Matters’. Others (from left) are: Youth Advocate, Lennox Hales; and Chairman of Fathers Incorporated, Dr. Herbert Gayle.

The Facts

  • Chairman of the NFPB, Dr. Sandra Knight, said research has been emerging which shows the negative effect that pornography is having on proper brain development in boys.
  • According to the findings, boys who are exposed to pornography at an early age are less likely to complete healthy relationships with females.

The Full Story

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) is urging parents, especially fathers, to protect their boys from exposure to pornography at an early age.

Chairman of the NFPB, Dr. Sandra Knight, said research has been emerging which shows the negative effect that pornography is having on proper brain development in boys.

According to the findings, boys who are exposed to pornography at an early age are less likely to complete healthy relationships with females, she informed.

“We are concerned about the rise in pornography addictions. It is seen by many Jamaican males as an acceptable viewing choice for their boys and we have found that this is a dangerous practice,” Dr. Knight said.

She was addressing a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on June 12, at the agency’s Head Office in Kingston.

“We find that our young male teenagers are not being as healthy in their social interaction with girls. Fathers need to substitute healthy positive interactions for the heavy pornographic and sexual images which are already all around,” Dr. Knight said.

She added that it is important for parents to be proactive about implanting sexual health concepts within their children’s minds and helping them to understand responsible sexuality.

In the meantime, Dr. Knight also revealed that the NFPB Sexual Health Authority is in the process of merging with the National HIV programme. She said an important finding coming out of this, is that the largest number of persons infected with HIV are males in the 19-24 age category.

The NFPB Chairman said parents should speak to their children about protecting themselves against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

“A significant number of those infected are males of various sexual orientations and the age group indicates that they are getting infected in their teenage years,” she pointed out.

Dr. Grant added that although antiretroviral drugs are keeping people alive for longer periods, the NFPB is concerned about the high rate of new infections.

Last Updated: June 23, 2014

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