According to a recent government survey, rates of elementary students being exposed to pornography and other sources of adult-content has more than doubled in recent years.
The survey was conducted by the Gender Equality Ministry on 15,646 students from fourth-grade to twelfth-grade for two months from October to November 2016. The study revealed that a startling 16.1% of elementary students viewed adult content at least once in the past year.
That rate has more than doubled from 7.5% in 2014. On the other hand, pornography consumption among middle school students rose to 42.4% from 41.7% in just two years while consumption among high school students surprisingly fell to 58% from 65.7%.
But these rates beg the question, “Where are these students getting access to adult content?”. Among the survey respondents, 27.6% accessed adult content through internet portals while 19.1% used real-time broadcasting websites. Social media was also a popular medium for accessing adult content with around 18.1% of students using this method.
The Gender Equality Ministry also offered this quote about preventive education programs.
“Amid the increase in consumption of adult video among elementary students, we will strengthen preventive education programs to counter harmful content for students.”
— Gender Equality Ministry
In addition to pornography consumption, 35% of middle and school students reported to having consumed alcohol in the past year as well. A staggering 94.8% of survey participants stated that they were able to purchase alcohol at convenience stores and supermarkets.
Source: KoreaHerald
