Pornography

Alive to the World takes the epidemic of pornography very seriously, and we are convinced that healthy thinking about sexuality should start very young.  The Alive to the World curriculum is carefully designed to lead the pupils through the natural steps of growing in concepts and attitudes that result in healthy living, the best protection against the stimulation of the oxytocins which lead to addiction to deviant habits.

It is well known that negative and addictive behaviours are interconnected: pornography is associated with masturbation, inhibited social skills, alcohol and drug abuse, early sexual experimentation, lack of ambition and distracted studies.

Protecting children from harmful images.

Some programmes take the approach of illustrating pornography in order to strengthen children against it. Alive to the World deems it unacceptable to introduce harmful ideas and images into children’s minds. Book 8 UK has a carefully worded story in which Charlie suffers social pressure to become involved with magazine pornography. He is both drawn and repelled by its attraction, and is then given full arguments against its use. The following chapter is on masturbation, its dangers and how to resist it. Read Chapter.

Encouraging good habits round electronic devices

Our third book Growing Together prepares children for constructive use of mobile and computer devices. The last chapter focuses on the importance of overall discipline and respecting family rules. This is fed into by the teacher guide which has an activity connecting each successive chapter with some aspect of good mobile and computer use (this ranges from care of posture and eyesight to guarding personal data and coping with peer pressure).

Later in the series, this guidance continues with considerations from various angles, including cyber-predators and cyber-bullying (see International Series).

Supporting parental involvement

For many children, it may be too late to apply “quick fix” lessons. Children grow up at very different rates and teaching has to guard against the related danger of traumatising many innocent pupils. Timing is crucial and so, too, is the method of teaching and the person who teaches.

By far the best place to be taught is in the home, and here schools can do a lot to encourage parents and carers to speak to their own children. It is they who know and love their children, and who also have most control over their leisure time, money, devices and friendships. There are many good resources which can help.

Under the Background Resources tab, you will find some suggestions.

Given the pressure to teach about adolescence at a younger age, it is recommended that primary schools consider taking our Book 7 UK and Book 8 UK.

Benefits of Alive to the World:

• Communication. It encourages parents and children to discuss many personal subjects which makes it easier to bring in sex.
• Discernment. Children are taught to discern their emotions and their bodily responses. This helps them to recognise as porn anything which titillates sexual thoughts or feelings. Triggers include words, images, videos and audio recordings.
• Mind over matter. They learn to govern their emotions and when to say no to themselves and to others. This helps them to resist behaviours which they know to be wrong or which make them uncomfortable.
• Friends. They are also taught to be discerning in their friendships, to realise when they are being used by other people, and to turn to adults they trust when they are uncertain.