Summary There is a lot of discussion about the possible effects of online pornography on children and young people and the messages pornography generates about gender, equality and sexuality. In 2016, the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) was engaged by the Department of Social Services to review what the available research evidence tells us about the issue. 1 Social contexts of pornography Any discussion of pornography and its effects on children and young people needs to acknowledge that pornography and its consumption is embedded within a broader sociocultural context. This includes: Online technologies, platforms and practices in general, and more specifically how children and young people interact with the online environment. Being online and connected is a fundamental part of children and young people's everyday lives and relationships The range of online risks children and young people experience, for example the dynamics and pr...