More children report seeing pornography online than two years ago, with more coming across it by accident and some aged as young as six – new research by the UK’s Children Commissioner finds.

New data from children aged 16 to 21 proves that despite major efforts to hold tech firms accountable for the content served up to children on their sites, more are seeing pornography online than in 2023, when the Commissioner published her first landmark research on the subject, ’A lot of it is just abuse’.

More than a quarter of children reported having seen it by age 11, with some reporting they have seen it ‘aged six or younger’. Many say it is now normal to see violent content that depicts acts that are illegal or soon will be.

More than half – 58% – had seen content featuring strangulation before turning 18, and many agreed it has affected their behaviour towards one another, with some particularly concerned about its impact on attitudes towards women and girls: 44% of the children surveyed agreed with the statement ‘girls may say no at first but then can be persuaded to have sex’. Girls were more likely to agree with the statement than boys.