On Monday 14th October, we welcomed Isla Van Tricht to FHS.

Isla spoke to our Sixth Form about pornography. The average age of children exposed to pornography in the UK is 11 years old. 90% of young people aged 8 – 16 have watched pornography online. Therefore we felt it was high time we had an open conversation about porn. Pornography is more widespread and accessible than it has ever been at any other time in history. Its content is also increasingly more extreme and often violent. There is also a wealth of scientific research and information about the harmful effects of pornography that can be used to educate, inform and empower young people.

Over the course of the presentation Isla deconstructed common myths about pornography and equipped our students with the information to make educated and intelligent decisions about the way they interact with porn, setting it in the context of an investment in their future relationships. The “conversation” then explored important ideas about consent, communication and intimacy which are predominantly absent in porn. With her sense of humour and strong presence, Isla managed to captivate and interest our audience who asked some very mature and pertinent questions.