Childhood exposure to pornography and the normalization of online exploitation

As technology is rapidly changing, so are the ways that children are being groomed, abused, and exploited online. Children are being exposed to online pornography in unprecedented numbers, leading to multiple mental health, physical, and social consequences. Early exposure to pornography normalizes sexual violence and objectification and desensitizes children to sexually explicit content. While children are being desensitized to pornography, many children are also being asked to exploit themselves by sending sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves via social media, apps, and video games. The crime of exploitation escalates further when offenders offer items of monetary or nonmonetary value in exchange for sexually explicit photos and/or videos. This exchange meets the criteria of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Due to the normalization of sexually explicit content, children may not realize that they are being exploited in these situations. Clinicians need to understand the signs of exploitation because many pediatric victims encounter health care professionals during or after their abuse. It is also imperative for health care workers to understand how to ask trauma-informed screening questions and how to help patients and their families navigate next steps and resources when a child is being harmed and exploited online. This article discusses childhood exposure to pornography and how it normalizes self-exploitation, as well as the pivotal role that nurses play in providing education on these issues, screening for online harm, and providing trauma-informed resources.