A survey of Australia teenagers has revealed that the vast majority has seen online pornography, though most teens claimed to have "accidentally" seen the images.
According to Sept. 11 Herald Sun article, researchers with Edith Cowan University reported that 84 percent of the boys and 60 percent of girls said they have "stumbled across" pornographic websites while surfing the Internet.
"The Internet offers a world of opportunity for young people but it is important that they are empowered to confront online problems such as cyber-bullying, inappropriate content and invasions of privacy," the nation's communications minister, Stephen Conroy, said in the Herald Sun article.
Though the Australian government has announced a $128 million effort to enhance the online security of young web-surfers, a number of groups have criticized the effort. For example, the Herald Sun reported, Liberal Senator Nick Minchin has claimed that the mandatory web-filtering program would lull parents into a false sense of security.
Posted By: Aspen/CRC