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Pornography and Healthy Sexual Development

This lesson explores the wide range of reasons people engage with sexually explicit media. 

Learning intentions:

  • Understand that some young adults access pornography for several different reasons
  • Demonstrate an understanding of pornography as a diverse form of media
  • Develop skills in navigating the available range of pornography to avoid material that promotes unhealthy sexual development
  • Explore and evaluate some of the common assumptions and misconceptions about pornography

Digital Educator: Ben

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 11+

    Year Level

  • 60 minutes

    Course duration

  • Two

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources
    ACHPE Objectives
    UNESCO Objectives
    Safety & Wellbeing
    Sequence
    Extension
    In this Pornography and Healthy Sexual Development lesson, students will explore criteria for healthy sexual development. 

    Using the results from an Australian study conducted by McKee, Dawson, and Kang (2023), students will explore what is meant by pornography, why people might engage with it, and what criteria can support healthy decision making and sexual development. Students will begin with knowledge sharing around the purpose and economics of mainstream pornography before working in small groups to devise criteria. They will compare their criteria with the research outcomes before completing a silent reflection on their own relationship to pornography.  

    Each lesson ends with a consolidation activity, inviting students to list 1 thing they have learnt from the lesson, 1 thing they already knew, 1 piece of advice they would share with a friend, and 1 adult or organisation that would be helpful in relation to the lesson topic.  

    Facilitator Printouts

    Student Printouts

    Additional Student Resources

    Not applicable. 
    Key Concept 1: Relationships
    1.2 Friendships, Love and Romantic Relationships.
    • Key idea: There are healthy and unhealthy sexual relationships
    .

    1.3 Tolerance, Inclusion and Respect.
    • Key idea: It is important to challenge stigma and discrimination and promote inclusion, non-discrimination and diversity.


    Key Concept 2: Values, Rights, Culture and Sexuality
         2.1 Values and Sexuality.
    • Key idea: It is important to know one’s own values, beliefs and attitudes, in order to adopt sexual behaviours that are consistent with them.


    2.3 Culture, Society and Sexuality.
    • Key idea: It is important to be aware of how social and cultural norms impact sexual behaviour while developing one’s own point of view.


    Key Concept 3: Understanding Gender 
         3.1 The Social Construction of Gender and Gender Norms.
    •  Key idea: It is important to challenge one’s own and others’ gender biases.
    •  Key idea: Homophobia and transphobia are harmful to people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.


    Key Concept 4: Violence and Staying Safe
         4.2 Consent, Privacy and Bodily Integrity.
    • Key idea: Consent is critical for healthy, pleasurable and consensual sexual behaviour with a partner.


    Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing 
         5.2 Decision-making.
    • Key idea: Sexual decision-making has consequences on oneself and others, including social and health consequences.
    •  Key idea: Sexual decision-making can result in possible legal consequences.
    • Mainstream (freely accessible) online pornography is often heterosexual or uses gendered stereotypes around power and agency. It is important to continue to challenge heteronormativity and cisgenderism throughout the lesson with your language and talking points.
    • Not all students will have seen or want to see sexually explicit material and for some students, their exposure will have been in the context of grooming or abuse. Create space for a range of perspectives and allow students to leave the room and seek support if needed. 
    1. Expanding on the final question on the role of technology and social media in intimacy can provide a wide range of extension activities. 
    Ideally, you will have scope to deliver all of the lessons in your program. However we understand that many schools have limited capacity to do so.

    In Year 11 and 12 you can deliver lessons from either year level. It can be helpful for Year 12's to explore more foundational issues in the Year 11 curriculum. It is also beneficial for Year 11's to have access to more advanced lessons from the Year 12 curriculum.  

    Should you find yourself having to implement part of this program, we have provided a suggested sequence of lessons within the broader skills and knowledge categories of relationship, consent, gender, and health & legal literacy. We recommend delivering at least one lesson from each category.

    1. Group Agreements & Pod Mapping should be the first lesson as per best practice.
    2. The program should finish with Great Debates as it provides an opportunity for students to integrate their learnings with their own values and engage in respectful communication on conflicting views. 

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