57% of Barcelona high school students admit watching pornography, half of them before turning 12

57% of Compulsory Secondary School (ESO) students in Barcelona have watched pornography - and more than half of them did so before the age of 12, according to the Consumption Habits Survey of the Province of Barcelona.  ESO students are between 12 and 16 years old. 

The figures vary considerably according to gender. While 72.9% of boys report having accessed pornography, only 39.2% of girls say they have viewed it.   

In terms of age, about 47.5% of high school pupils admit to having watched pornography before the age of 12, among boys, it's slightly higher at 50.9%. By the age of 13, this figure rises to 71.8% overall, 76.3% for boys.  

Some 14.5% of students were exposed to pornography at the age of 10 or younger, while 33.5% were exposed in the 11-12 age group and 43% in the 13-14 age group.  

Around 40% of them admit being introduced to pornography through friends, with boys being slightly more likely (42%) compared to girls (36.3%). One-third actively search for it and about 15% stumble upon it accidentally while surfing the internet.  

The main motivation cited for viewing pornography is to satisfy their sexual desires, especially among boys at 66.1% compared to 47.1% of girls.  

However, 45.6% of girls watch it out of curiosity, while only 22.7% of boys cite curiosity as a motive.   

Friends and school are the main sources of information about sexuality for adolescents.  

Overall, 25.2% of boys who have seen pornography consume it frequently.  

The Consumption Habits Survey of the Province of Barcelona has been carried out since 2015 and involves 30,650 students from high schools in 90 towns in the province.

This is the first time that a question about the consumption of pornography has been included.