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Online safety, sexting and pornography

How you talk to and protect your child about risks online, including sexting and pornography: blocking, conversation, or both.

How do we talk to our child about online safety, sexting and pornography?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Blocking and prohibition only; Blocking plus conversation before likely exposure; Conversation and media literacy, no blocking; Not addressed unless it comes up. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: tween.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
Tween
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Online safety, sexting and pornography: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Blocking and prohibition only

    You rely on filters and rules and do not discuss it.

  2. 2. Blocking plus conversation before likely exposure

    You use filters and also talk before the child is likely to come across it.

  3. 3. Conversation and media literacy, no blocking

    You talk and teach the child to think critically, without filters.

  4. 4. Not addressed unless it comes up

    You raise it only if something happens.

Online safety, sexting and pornography: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

AAP's script: ask questions, normalize curiosity, state family values, explain that porn is not realistic; no sexting source gathered

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Many children come across sexual content online before their parents expect it, often by accident. Filters reduce exposure and do not remove it. Talking early, before it happens, is the advice most experts give.

Questions to ask each other

  • When would we start talking about these topics?
  • Which of us would have the conversations?
  • What would we say if our child came to us after seeing something upsetting?

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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.