BYU communications professor continues her study on the effects of pornography on children with a new article exploring ways for parents to have healthy conversations with their children.
As parents attempt to navigate an increasingly digital world, children’s heightened exposure to pornography presents a difficult dilemma. Whether children go looking for pornography on their own or come across it accidentally, talking to kids about the topic is not only common but almost inevitable. Jessica Zurcher — a professor in the School of Communications — is passionate about changing the conversation surronding pornography and has devoted much of her academic career to the subject. “There are children who are young, impressionable and may not even be searching for it who stumble across it,” Zurcher said. “When parents approach it in an extremely negative, authoritarian way it could have negative impacts on that child’s perception of not only pornography but other media related issues. It is important to move away from a shame-based culture and towards an open, warm and educated environment.” Read the entire article at comms.byu.edu