Children should be better protected from online pornography a Glasgow MSP has said.

Pauline McNeill, Labour MSP, has called for information to be collected on the impact pornography has on children similar to a recent publication in England.

She said the English report highlighted the influence and harm online pornography was having on children and young people but the same level of information was not collected in Scotland.

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McNeill asked the education secretary what action the Scottish Government was taking to educate children and young people about any dangers of online pornography and if she thought Scotland should be acting to gain a greater understanding of the problem and how prevalent it is.

She said: “Earlier this month the Children’s Commissioner for England published a second report on the impact of pornography on children.

“The report focuses on the harms that children face in accessing violent pornography and how that might influence their own harmful sexual behaviour, which is why regulation online is so critical to protect children and young people.

“And I agree with the children’s commissioner for England that no child should be able to access or watch pornography.”

McNeill told MSPs the report drew attention to the influence porn had on young people and that in Scotland not enough was known.

She added: “Worryingly, one victim said their abuser made references to things he’d seen on porn.

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“Two young girls said they felt they had been treated like porn stars by their abuser.

“Now I previously mentioned this, about the lack of data there is on this in Scotland.

"So, does the cabinet secretary think it is really important to collect this type of data and that the new children’s commissioner for Scotland should consider the collection of this data a priority.”

Jenny Gilruth, Education Secretary, said she would look at the English report.

Glasgow Times:

She said: “I think she (McNeill) raises an important matter. I’m not sighted on the specific report she’s mentioned in relation to the Children’s commissioner in England. I will certainly be appraised of that because I think it’s important we do have a granular understanding of the challenge in Scotland.”

She said regulation of the internet was a reserved matter for the UK Government and added she added: I look forward to working with the new children’s commissioner who will take up the post later this year.”