How to Protect Your Family From Internet Pornography Addiction

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By sarahlynnknows
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Protect your marriage and family by keeping pornography out of your home.

Today more than ever, internet pornography has seeped into all areas of the web, making pornography more accessible to parents and children. Pornography addiction can destroy marriages and families. Follow these 7 steps to protect family members from becoming addicted to porn.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Family

Take 10-15 mins to have a family discussion about pornography and it's consequences. Explain clearly with age appropriate language what pornography is and why it needs to be avoided. Once your spouse and children understand the dangers of pornography, you can work together to help protect your family from porn addictions.
Step 2

Computer safety

With your family, find a public place to keep ALL home computers. Internet abuse is less likely to occur in the company of Mom, Dad and others. Good places include free walls or corners in family rooms, kitchens, and play rooms. Make sure the computer screen is facing out into the room. Set a rule for laptops to be used in the kitchen and family rooms.
Step 3

Internet filter

Put a highly secure internet filter on your computer internet. Try to find a filter that allows you to control protection on a wide variety of web content, since pornography can be found in multiple ways. Even free internet filters can be effective in keeping pornography out of your home.
Step 4

Loving marriage

Create the filter password WITH your spouse. You create the first half of the password without your spouse knowing. Then, your spouse creates the second half of the password without you knowing. This way, if either of you need or are tempted to view sexual content, it must be done with both of you present. This is a great prevention technique against secretive activity with internet porn.
Step 5

Regularly check the internet history on your computers. Let your family know that this will take place often. View websites that were viewed today, yesterday, and earlier. Look for unfamiliar web addresses. Also look for any evidence of deleted history such as gaps of time where there is no history, indicating the user deleted the files.
Step 6

Safety from cyber bullies

Do not be naive to the skills of child porn predators and cyber bullies that are lurking all over the internet. Limit email, chatting and networking access to your children. It's generally inappropriate for elementary school children to participate in Facebook, MySpace, and personal email.
Step 7

Limit Texting

When your children are old enough for email and social networks, limit their time on those sites. Make sure that you know the passwords to their accounts. Occasionally read the emails and comments that are made to and from your child. Keep in mind that cellphones and texting are also resources for porn addicts and predators. If you have done step 1 and 2 well, your child will understand that rather than undermining their honesty, you are protecting them from pornography.