
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry is a “groundbreaking” opportunity to address the destructive effects of pornography on young people, says Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP.
In an email sent to supporters on 15 January the Archbishop of Sydney said he was hopeful about the inquiry into the impacts of harmful pornography on people’s mental, emotional and physical health.
Formal submissions are open until 31 January and the archbishop is encouraging members of the public to share their concerns and recommendations for policymakers with the inquiry committee via an online survey, which also closes on the same day.
“Sadly, we also know that the age at which young people are first exposed to pornography has been falling, with most of our young people first viewing pornography by the age of 13,” Archbishop Fisher wrote.
“This exposure has widespread impacts, including contributing to the breakdown of relationships, a devastating decline in self-image, particularly amongst girls and an increase of sexual violence and trafficking.
“All this stems from the way in which undermines the dignity and worth of each human person and the integrity of the sexual act.”
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley announced the inquiry last August, which followed a 2023 report by the eSafety Commissioner.

It found that 75 per cent of 16-18 year olds surveyed in Australia had seen online pornography, nearly one third of them before the age of 13.
The commissioner also found that common forms of pornography often contain depictions of sexual violence and content degrading of women.
Inquiry committee member Liberal MLC Susan Carter has urged parents to contribute to the inquiry to tell their personal stories and advocate for possible solutions.
“It is a sobering statistic that the average age of exposure to pornography for males is 11, and this must have a negative impact on the ability to form meaningful and respectful relationships,” Carter told The Catholic Weekly at the time.
“Violent pornography is recognised as a clear driver of violence against women.”
Among those welcoming the inquiry are the Australian Christian Lobby, Melinda Tankard Reist, director of Collective Shout, and Catherine Garrett-Jones, executive director of the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT.
A submission from the Parish Marriage Resource Centre Australia, the largest provider of marriage preparation in Australia for couples marrying in the Catholic Church, said there is “no such thing as harmless pornography.”

Directors Francine and Dr Byron Pirola cited research showing pornography use is associated with a 300 per cent increase in marital infidelity and increased incidence of sexual dysfunction, particularly among male users, an increased rate of divorce and normalises the objectification of women and children.
“All pornography is harmful to the actors and producers, to the consumer, to partners and families, to the culture at large,” they wrote.
A submission from Jesuit Social Services said it had observed impacts of harmful pornography “first-hand” through its program delivery and research related to the prevention of violence and abuse.
“We are particularly concerned about the inter-relationships between pornography use, the normalisation of violence, harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours; and their relationship to child sexual abuse material,” it read.
Suicide Prevention Australia in its submission said it did not believe all pornography use is harmful but was concerned for children and young people.
“While children and young people may initially view pornography out of sexual curiosity or to access sex-related information, repeated exposure to violent or unrealistic content can lead to harmful outcomes, including developmentally inappropriate sexualised behaviour and greater likelihood of sexual violence, depression, anxiety and loneliness,” the submission read.

“Worryingly, these outcomes may increase the likelihood of experiencing suicidal behaviour.”
Archbishop Fisher said the inquiry “will place the negative impacts of pornography on the parliamentary record and provide the impetus for the NSW Government to act on these impacts.”
A fact sheet published by the Archdiocese of Sydney is available here and includes information based on studies showing pornography’s harms.
It includes reported links between pornography consumption and indecent assaults in public schools, violence against women and as a risk factor in human trafficking.
“Children exposed to pornography earlier are more likely to report engaging in sexual activity before the age of 16, an increased willingness to engage in casual sex, the normalisation of risky sexual behaviours, increased sexual aggression and teen dating violence and decreased academic performance,” the resource reads.
The online questionnaire can be accessed at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Both close on 31 January.