'I was 13. I thought that's what was expected of me' [View all]
Three clicks. That’s all it takes to move from a popular adult site’s homepage to a video in which men dressed as soldiers rape a screaming “village girl”. Three more clicks and there’s a naked teenager crying helplessly as a man puts his hand around her neck against her will.
The videos are free. And none of the world’s most popular porn sites visited by this masthead, which show men treating women with violence and coercion prohibited under Australian law, stipulated the content was for adults, or required users to check a box confirming that they were over 18.
Amid deepening concern that adolescents’ easy, free access to a vast array of adult material is normalising gendered violence in adolescent sex – some teens say their first sexual experience involved a hand around their neck – the nation will soon begin debating whether to restrict access to minors. Those concerned include the NSW’s Children’s Court president and the head of the state’s child abuse squad.
The eSafety Commission has handed in its report on how Australia could introduce an age verification road map to the federal government, a move that could also restrict children’s access to violent gaming and gambling. Age restriction can range from government-issued “certificates” to technology that scans a user’s facial characteristics to assess their age. The government is due to respond soon.
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