Unwanted Exposure to Sexual Material

Study: Exposure is Increasing

More young people are being exposed to unwanted sexual material on the Internet. In 2000, one in four youths reported such exposure. In 2006, that figure had climbed to one in three, despite the increased use of filtering, blocking and monitoring software.1

The availability of high-speed Internet access, which downloads images faster than dial-up connections, may be contributing to the increase in unwanted exposure to sexual material.

How It Can Happen

Some young people seek out sexual material online, but most encounter it unintentionally. A lot of information on the Internet is completely inappropriate for children. Unfortunately, children can access sexual material accidentally when using search engines or even by misspelling a website address. Sexual material can also be delivered to your child in an unsolicited email (known as "SPAM") as an attachment or a hyperlink.

Report Obscene Material

It is a violation of Federal law for any person to knowingly send or attempt to send obscene material to a child under the age of 16 years. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children takes reports of unsolicited obscene material sent to a child. Please report any incidents to 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or www.cybertipline.com.

Child-Friendly Search Engines

While no technology can completely remove the possibility of unwanted exposure to sexual material, child-friendly search engines greatly reduce the odds of such exposure. These search engines are designed to allow children and students to access websites they can use to play, learn and conduct research for school while excluding sites whose content may be inappropriate.

1. David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation's Youth. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2000.