What Does the Research Tell Us?

Research suggests that early exposure to sexually explicit material is likely to have a negative influence on children.

Children process sexually explicit information differently than adults do. In the past, it was thought that children simply didn't understand sexually explicit information and therefore were unaffected by exposure. Children are generally concrete thinkers and do not have complex abstract thinking capabilities.

Research now shows that although they are incapable of processing the information, they may store it and continue to be reminded of it as they grow older.