The proliferation of porn among young people who don’t understand consent is “hugely, hugely problematic,” according to a leading psychotherapist.

Anne McCormack was speaking after a new Women’s Aid report found that 71% of Irish people believe porn is harming society.

The majority of survey respondents said porn is too accessible to children and is contributing to gender inequality and sexual violence.

The vast majority of 18 to 25-year-olds believe porn is increasing young men’s interest in rough or violent sex and Women’s Aid said its support workers regularly hear about the role pornography plays in the verbal, sexual and physical abuse women are subjected to by their male partners.

While the majority of men (60%) agree that pornography is harmful to society, the level of concern is significantly higher among women (82%).

Consent

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Ms McCormack said the issues all come down to consent.

“There are a lot of difficult issues when it comes to pornography and I think one of the main issues that I would have with it, in terms of my experience of people who I meet with, […] is that people are using pornography before they have an understanding of consent,” she said.

“That is definitely causing harm to society. I think that is one of the main problems when it comes to porn.

“I don’t think porn itself is necessarily problematic. I think the fact that people are accessing it before they understand consent is hugely, hugely problematic.”

Education

She said a lack of regulation and education has left it up to parents to teach their children about the difference between porn and reality.

“It can impact on behaviour and again, I would go back to the issue of consent. I think that is the most problematic area,” she said.

“If you think about a person who doesn’t understand consent, if they enter into any sexual contact with another person that is harmful. So yes, it can impact on behaviour.”

Porn

She noted that most people understand that they can’t act out what they see on the screen.

“I know there is information in that survey as well about women’s experience of men when pornography is being used but what I would say about that is that, if people watch porn that’s misogynistic, it doesn’t mean that they themselves are misogynistic,” she said.

“In the same way that some people like to play video games that contain violence and it doesn’t mean they are violent people themselves.”

She said people need to have open conversations with their sexual partners about consent and their sexual expectations.