Government investigates whether to restrict Kiwis' access to internet porn

Lawmakers are looking at how regulation has been put in place overseas.

The Government is investigating whether to restrict New Zealanders’ access to pornography.

The UK is trying to make porn sites use age verification to restrict access to adults only.

Children’s Minister Tracey Martin said she wants to work with the Chief Censor, who is preparing a piece of research due for release later this month.

“I'm looking around the world because we're not the only nation grappling with this issue, and having the conversations about what can we try, what can we possibly try, to try and regulate this industry,” she said.

The Education Review Office has been calling for schools to include pornography as part of sex education.

Auckland Grammar did three years ago and brought in Australian expert Maree Crabbe.

“Parents need to understand that this is not an issue we can afford to ignore and it is part of supporting young people for healthy respectful relationships in the 21st century, to support them to critique pornography’s influence,” Ms Crabbe told 1 NEWS.

Kris Taylor is researching the moral and ethical problems pornography viewers can face and agrees education is key.

“I think the most important thing we could do is have a comprehensive nationwide sex education that's introduced at an earlier level.

“My advice would be to step back a little bit, it's important to look at what it is we're looking at. As an issue with pornography I think it tends to be framed as this major threat to teenagers and yet fine for everyone else,” Mr Taylor said.
 

For more on this issue, watch the video above or follow full coverage of The Porn Problem here.

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