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Tips For Parents


The Hidden Invasion: Protecting Your Family Online from Covenant Eyes on Vimeo
Tips For Parents

Pornography addiction is a serious and dangerous issue. Do not make the mistake of minimizing the potential consequences. Some parents assume that it is simply a phase and that it will eventually just go away. Experience has taught us that this is not the case. Most youth who become addicted to pornography are not able to break the addiction on their own without help.

Research and studies have found the most pornography and sexual addiction begins during adolescence. Unfortunately, most don’t seek treatment until later in life after the addiction has caused significant damage and destruction to their lives.
We hold a strong belief that helping youth learn to manage the addiction now rather than later in life is a far better approach and saves a potential life-time of future problems.

Tips for Parents

Express Your Love. Express your love and your desire for your child to have a happy, successful life, and share your concern that involvement in pornography can jeopardize your child’s future happiness and well-being,
Teach. Teach your child how pornography distorts sexuality, causes users to view others as sexual objects, and is highly addictive.

Follow Up. Once the problem has been acknowledged, keep the lines of communication open. Addiction thrive in secrecy and is less likely to recur when talked about in a sensitive, caring way.

Respond Calmly. Avoid responding with shock and anger. Instead, be genuinely concerned and talk with your child in a respectful way.

Learn. Ask how the problem got started, how long it has been going on, and how extensively the child is involved with pornography.

Accountability. Utilize internet filtering on computers, and hand held devices. Be aware of all potential sources that could be used to obtain pornography and take measures to prevent pornography from entering your home. Be prepared to take away internet and phone privileges as needed.

Involve Professionals and clergy. Encourage your child to talk and get professional and spiritual help.

Discipline with Sensitivity. Rather than preaching, threatening, or condemning, appeal to your child’s better judgment. Discipline and teach with kindness to listen to your counsel.

Communicate. Find out how the child feels about his or her involvement and whether he or she plans to continue that involvement.

Help. Provide help and encouragement as the child strives to overcome the problem.

Tips for Prevention

Protect. Safeguard your home. As a family, discuss and implement healthy media habits such as limiting television and computer time, installing Internet filters, and placing televisions and computers in high-use areas where the screens are visible to others.

Exemplify. Immediately turn away from explicit images and teach your children to do the same.

Love. Develop a loving, open, and influential relationship with your children, teaching them proper values and healthy attitudes toward sexuality.

Warn. Warn family members about pornography’s ability to enslave and destroy them.

Teach. Help family members understand the desensitization process that occurs from repeated exposure to explicit images and behaviors found on the internet, in books, magazines, and popular television programs.

Learn About the Dangers: The 3 C’s

When thinking about Internet dangers, remember the “3 C’s“: (1) inappropriate content, (2) inappropriate communications, and (3) inappropriate customs.

Inappropriate Content

Inappropriate content includes everything from pornography to profanity, from brutality to bulimia. Parents need to be able to control the content that comes into their home and keep the lines of communication open with their children about what they have seen and heard.

Inappropriate Communication

The Internet is a two-way street. Kids are not only exposed to content, they create it. Kids don’t just partake, they promote. The Internet is where kids and teens step out and socialize. While this can have great benefits, it is important for parents to know the dangers associated with it. Kids can give away too much or embarrassing information about themselves or others. Kids can be bullied by others. Kids can even interact with predators and others who mean to do them harm.

Inappropriate Customs

Red letter dangers are easy to spot. But even when a child isn’t exposed to damaging content or communications, they can form unhealthy Internet habits. Teens can spend too much time online or become obsessed with their online image. This not only causes tensions at home, but also results in less time spent with family and other important activities.

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Learn About the Solutions

A recent survey says over two-thirds of kids purposefully cover their tracks to make sure their parents won’t find out what they do online. John Mangelaars of Microsoft says, “It is incredibly important parents stay actively involved, talking regularly with their kids and using the parental technology tools that are available to them.”

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