You may wonder, "What is the effect of the exposure or use of pornography on Teens and Children?" As access to pornography becomes more common, it is likely that many children have been exposed to pornography by the age of 9.  At least this was my personal experience with my son.  At the age of 9, my child came to me saying that a friend had done a search online and some pictures had popped up.  My child was very concerned with what he had seen.  He couldn't get it out of his mind.  As children are exposed to pornography at younger and younger ages, it will likely have a damaging effect on their sexual and relationship lives.....unless, you seek professional help in dealing with the issue.  Thankfully, for me, I was equipped to deal with the issue with my child.

The pre-teen and teen brain is not fully mature and neither is their sexual self thus causing a powerful reaction to sexual stimuli.  It can be easy to get "hooked" on porn at a young age.  The young mind is not ready to cope with the shock, adrenaline and stress of the highly arousing nature of pornography.

Treatment may be necessary for the trauma experiences when a child is exposed to pornography.  For the child or teen who is "hooked" on pornography, with abstinence, it's possible the young brain can rebalance and resume normal sexual development.

If you have questions about the effects of pornography on your child, please call 602-677-3557 for an appointment with Cynthia A. Criss, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, so that you can learn more about how to help your child with this issue.

For clinical treatment/counseling around this issue, Cynthia will work with you and your child to determine the best treatment plan.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.