Sexual health experts in Australia and New Zealand reported that parents were generally comfortable with sexually explicit media literacy education content, but faced challenges with resourcing, accessing certain population groups, and parental lack of awareness of SEM availability and support.
Sexual health experts reported that parents were comfortable with the content presented in sexually explicit media (SEM) literacy education programs.
Experts perceived that many parents lacked awareness of SEM availability and available support resources.
Offering a variety of delivery formats and creating safe, inclusive environments were identified as effective strategies for parental engagement.
Experts advocated for harm reduction approaches that support parents in helping their children develop critical analysis skills regarding SEM.
Information assessing parental perspectives, resources, and programs for SEM literacy education is scarce.
This research suggests that when sexual health experts try to engage parents in education about sexually explicit media (SEM) and pornography, parents are generally open to the content being presented to them. However, experts face real challenges in reaching all communities, particularly in terms of limited resources and difficulties accessing certain population groups. A key finding is that many parents simply don't know how early or how often young people encounter SEM online — research indicates children can first encounter it between ages 9 and 13 — and many parents instinctively want to protect their children's innocence rather than address the topic directly. The experts interviewed suggested several practical approaches for improving parental engagement: offering education in multiple formats to suit different preferences, creating non-judgmental environments where parents feel safe to discuss these topics, and taking a neutral stance on SEM and pornography rather than a purely prohibitive one. Importantly, the experts emphasized that young people and parents themselves should be involved in developing educational content, making it more relevant and effective. Rather than focusing on preventing children from ever seeing explicit material, the experts recommended a harm reduction approach — one that equips parents with the tools and confidence to have open conversations with their children, helping young people develop the critical thinking skills they need to evaluate what they see and build healthy, respectful attitudes toward relationships and sexuality. This research suggests that health promotion organizations could use these insights to design more effective parent-focused programs around SEM literacy.
Zen M, Hendriks J, Burns S. (2025). Engaging Parents in Sexually Explicit Media Literacy Education: Expert Perspectives From Australia and New Zealand.. Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.70026