UNICEF says Preventing Children From Watching Pornography Violates Their Human Rights

June 04 06:41 2021 by The Ajasa News Print This Article

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has released a latest report regarding pornography noting that preventing children from watching it violates their human rights based on extensive interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The UNICEF stated this in a controversial report which talks about how government policy protects children from harmful, abusive and violent content online.

According to the report, the exposure to pornography may not always be harmful to children because it prepares some of them for adulthood.

The UN Children’s Fund stressed that there is no conclusive evidence that children exposed to pornography are harmed in any way due to the exposure.

The UNICEF based its conclusion on a European study of 19 EU countries, and found that most children who saw pornography were “neither upset nor happy.” The report says 39% of Spanish children were happy after seeing pornography.

The 2020 EU Kids Online Study inferred that some children and young people “intentionally seek out sexual content” for different reasons. And that these sexual images might provide answers to questions about puberty and sexual identity.

The UN agency also claims that asking for age-verification to access pornography online may deny children access to what it calls ‘vital sexuality education.’

The controversial report has triggered reactions across the globe with many Child Rights activists disagreeing vehemently with the UNICEF.

Lisa Thompson, vice president and director of the Research Institute at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, said:

“UNICEF’s report ignores the vast body of research demonstrating the harms of pornography to children. By ignoring the real harms pornography can have, UNICEF is playing roulette with children’s health and safety.”

“Mainstream pornography contains horrific sexual abuse, rape, incest, racism – all of which children should not consume. UNICEF’s milquetoast assessment of the impacts hardcore pornography on children does nothing to challenge the political narrative that pornography is benign, and as a result, puts children in harm’s way.”

Thompson’s organization provides expert research to inform policy decisions to end the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and children.