On launching new video resource, Eyes on Porn, Susie McDonald, CEO of Tender, said:

‘Tender helps children and young people understand healthy relationships. We know that children and young people are accessing porn: according to a 2023 Children’s Commissioner report, 10% of children surveyed had seen pornography by the age of nine and 27% had seen it by age 11.

‘Many free, mainstream* pornography sites feature acts of violence, degradation (particularly towards women), harmful stereotypes of gender, race and other facets of identity – and a lack of visible consent. If porn is someone’s first introduction to sex, they may assume this is an accurate representation, and may also miss key aspects of healthy sexual encounters, such as communication, informed consent and safety.

‘Eyes on Porn was created with fellow charity HelpFilm in consultation with our Youth Board and secondary school students. Only shown as part of specific workshops run by highly trained facilitators, the film seeks to educate and inform young people to reduce the risks of pornography, support healthy relationships and prevent abuse.

‘Everyone deserves to navigate their relationships with safety, empathy, equality and respect. It’s important that young people who are watching porn are not judged, but engaged with in a caring, open environment where they can understand its potential risks.’

*Tender’s stance is focused on ‘mainstream’ porn. This is porn that can be easily accessed via free websites (e.g. PornHub) and is typically created for the imagined ‘average’ viewer.