Childhood used to be an age of undisputed innocence – a fleeting treasure that many parents still fight hard to preserve. Unfortunately, because of the proliferation of online pornography, many parents have discovered that they are fighting a losing battle to protect their children’s childhood.

More and more children have access to smart phones. That means that pornography has become very easy for children to access, even by accident. The data on first exposure to explicit material is heartbreaking. As we point out, 84 percent of boys are exposed to pornography between the ages of 11 and 13. 57 percent of girls aged 14 to 18 have viewed online pornography. Because pornography changes the brain’s neurochemistry – essentially rewiring the brain – early exposure is especially damaging.

“Pornography is now a leading cause of the mental health crisis among children,” writes Michael Severance, Director of the Instituto Acton in his recommendation.

Early exposure to pornography shapes the way children, especially boys, expect sexual relationships to develop. Violence is a major part of the pornographic account of sexuality. Pornography addictions routinely lead to self-esteem problems, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and even sexual violence. And on a social scale, pornography corrodes marital intimacy, mocks marriage and family life, and facilitates the objectification of women.

Many parents are not aware of the problem of pornography. They’re not tech savvy or they assume that their children are immune to the problem. Having a conversation with a pre-teen about pornography can be awkward and difficult. But parents need to have those conversations. They need to know about the risks that pornography poses to their children. They need to make sure that their children know the truth about sexuality before they’re unwittingly introduced to the perverse online version. Most of all, parents need support. It’s fundamentally unjust to expect parents to fight the pornography industry – an unscrupulous multi-billion-dollar behemoth – without help.

One source of such help is government action. Regulatory options are available to curb the growing online pornography problem, but legislators need to be creative. They need encouragement and “a strong political will to fight the plague of pornography,” as Priscille Kulczyk, a research fellow at the European Centre for Law and Justice, writes. To move the political needle on pornography regulation, courageous organizations need to speak up. Axioma’s white paper is part of that effort.

Kulczyk adds, Axioma has produced “[a] comprehensive study that lifts the taboo on the pornography industry” that shows “in practical terms, [that] legal and technical solutions do exist.”

Danish podcaster and author Iben Thranholm likewise lauds Axioma’s effort: “robust legislation on pornography” is needed and by producing a whitepaper detailing the problem of pornography and potential legislative solutions, “Axioma has taken the first step.” More steps must follow.

Concerned legislators everywhere should make fighting pornography part of their legislative agenda. As Terry Schilling, President of the American Principles Project writes, “Pornography is more than just a personal vice, it’s a sickness that is fundamentally destroying our society. We must be willing to say ‘enough’ and do everything in our power to stop it.”

Every child deserves a childhood, and there’s nothing more important than fighting to protect our children’s innocence. Read the rest of Axioma’s whitepaper below.