Calls for political action to address staggering increase in porn addiction among young people

A Christian charity is calling for urgent political action after new research found large numbers of young people are addicted to pornography. 

Mental health and addiction clinic, Paracelsus Recovery, has reported a 150 per cent increase in people being treated for porn addiction between 2019 and 2023. 

The clinic’s chief executive, Jan Gerber, told the Mail Online that nearly two thirds of young people are addicted and that “porn addiction is significantly more common than official numbers suggest”. 

“We estimate that one in two males suffer from problematic porn consumption that would meet the diagnostic criteria for addiction, and one in four females. Among under-18s, the levels are higher still, at around 60 per cent,” said Gerber. 

Responding to the comments, Christian policy group CARE said the figures were “shocking” and that tougher regulation of online porn was needed to protect young people. 

CARE’s director of advocacy and policy, Louise Davies, said the development “illustrates the astonishing scope of porn consumption and addiction in society, including among children”.

“The impact pornography has on children and young people is greatly concerning to parents, child safety campaigners, groups representing women and girls, and many others,” she said.

She expressed particular concern about links between violent porn and sexual crime, and said that “huge fears” around artificial intelligence “must urgently be considered”. 

“The government has committed to reviewing gaps in the law and this is welcome. We do not have parity in offline and online regulation,” she said.

“At present, mainstream porn sites can host material that would be illegal in the offline world. There are no rules requiring participants’ age and consent to be verified. And there is no mechanism for individuals who have had content shared illegally to get it taken down.”

She continued, “It has taken years for concerns about internet pornography to gain prominence, and it falls to political leaders to keep up momentum for change.

“The pornography industry cannot be allowed to act with impunity anymore. There is a moral obligation for action that leads to vulnerable groups being protected.”

Polling by Savanta on behalf of CARE has found strong support for age verification on porn websites to protect children, with eight in 10 UK adults wanting this. 

The same number have said that access to online porn should be restricted to over-18s only. 

A separate poll for CARE found that six in 10 UK adults fear that porn is inspiring sexual violence against women and girls.