February 2025: Protecting Kids From Mainstream Narratives of Sex

Culture Reframed is the premier science-based, global organization working to stop the emotional, behavioral, and sexual harms of pornography to children and youth. Join our online community to receive updates on our work, announcements of upcoming events, and the latest news related to pornography and youth.

Culture Reframed’s mission is centered around helping children, the often-voiceless members of our society. As Gail Dines, Culture Reframed’s founder, has stated: “Pornography has now become the major form of sex ed in the Western world.” It should be everybody’s mission to protect our children. I am grateful to be a part of such an influential group that tackles this problem by raising awareness and shifting cultural narratives. Anything that can be done to foster positive change and protect our children—I will gladly sign off on that.

This month’s newsletter shares vitally important resources for parents, professionals and anyone else who is concerned about pornography’s impact on youth. Specifically, we’re providing context and research on the dangerous trend of sexual strangulation that pornography has helped embed in mainstream narratives of sex. Learning to talk about this trend with youth can quite literally save lives. We hope you find this helpful and encourage you to share it with anyone you know who may benefit. As always, thank you for being a part of our community.

— Lindsay Morris
Program Assistant, Culture Reframed

Young people are not the only ones misinformed about sexual strangulation. The adults in their lives may not know about the prevalence of this dangerous trend, preempting the ability of parents and professionals to have informed conversations to keep teens and young adults safe. This article features insight from sexual health researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick into the changes in perception of so-called “rough sex” and what we as parents, caregivers, educators, and more can do about it to protect young people.

Our new report compiles the latest research on the behavior that has been mainstreamed as the new sexual kink amongst young people. With the conditioning of sexual ‘choking’ as positive and safe after exposure to pornography, and considering that most commonly adolescents learn about sexual strangulation between the ages of 16 and 18, starting conversations early about the harms and dangers of this sexual practice can save lives. Learn more about the link to gender-based violence and the perception of ‘sex games gone wrong’ in this report.

Your voice is essential in reframing the conversation about the harms of pornography and helping us combat this public health crisis. We’d love to learn more about you! If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete our short survey so we can better understand how to support you in this critical work.

25th Annual Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium | March 27, 2025 in Roanoke, WV

We are looking forward to presenting at the Sexual Assault and Stalking Symposium, hosted by the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services. The annual event features a one-day training that provides an opportunity to learn about new protocols for responding to victims and emerging issues related to sexual violence and stalking. The symposium is essential for law enforcement, campus security, victim advocates, SANEs, medical personnel, prosecutors, SART members, college campus staff, social workers, counselors, disability service providers, and more.

Roblox, Discord, OpenAI, and Google Found New Child Safety Group (The Verge)

The gaming and tech companies have formed a new non-profit to make child online safety technologies more accessible, including free, open-source AI tools for identifying, reviewing, and reporting child sexual abuse material. Read more.

Maryland House Passes Bill on Health, Sex Education Requirements (Baltimore Banner)

The law, if passed by the senate, solidifies existing regulations including lessons on family life, human sexuality, gender, and sexual orientation, and adds requirements that schools teach students about social media and online interactions, healthy living, and human trafficking. Read more.

How Big Tech’s Ad Systems Helped Fund Child Abuse Online (BBC News)

Advertising systems run by companies including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have inadvertently funneled money to websites hosting illegal images of child sex abuse. Advertisements for MasterCard, Nestlé, Starbucks, Unilever, and even the US Government were found on sites alongside hardcore adult pornography. Read more.

Now in College, Luddite Teens Still Don’t Want Your Likes (New York Times)

New York youth started a network of clubs devoted to healthier relationships with technology. This update from The New York Times shows how the movement has grown and how their habits have carried on to college. Read more.

Tech Giants Pick up the Child-Safety Policy Pieces (Politico)

Even after the Kids Online Safety Act failed to pass in the US, Meta and YouTube have unveiled policies to protect young users, including educational curriculum and using machine learning to identify and adapt to users under 18. Read more.

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