By Floyd Godfrey, PhD
Increasing evidence suggests that adolescents benefit markedly when fathers are emotionally present and actively involved in guiding their children’s digital behavior. In particular, father engagement—characterized by warmth, encouragement, and constructive conversation about pornography—appears to reduce teens’ porn use and promote media resilience.
Research across multiple European countries supports the protective role of emotionally supportive parenting in shaping adolescent media behavior. In a cross-sectional study involving youth from six European nations, researchers found that adolescents exposed to online pornography were more likely to experience psychopathological symptoms such as depression and conduct problems, particularly when parental monitoring and emotional closeness were lacking. The findings emphasized that parental presence, clear communication, and consistent boundaries—especially when combined with emotional connection—served as key protective factors. These elements helped reduce the psychological vulnerabilities linked to early and repeated pornography exposure (Andrie et al., 2021).
Research among Chinese adolescents highlights how strong family functioning can buffer against problematic pornography use. Li et al. (2021) found that emotionally supportive families promote higher hope in teens, which is linked to lower pathological internet use. Further, they demonstrated that poor family cohesion and low self-esteem predicted greater problematic internet pornography use (PIPU), especially among teens with a high need for belonging. These findings suggest that adolescents benefit most from environments where emotional support, connection, and healthy self-worth are consistently reinforced.
Parental mediation strategies—such as restrictive rules, active discussions, and co-use of media—play an important role in shaping adolescents’ media habits. A study of Israeli parents of children aged 10 to 14 found that authoritative parenting, which blends emotional warmth with clear expectations, was significantly associated with more active and restrictive mediation of children's pornography exposure. In contrast, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were linked to lower engagement and less effective communication. Additionally, the study noted that fathers were generally less likely than mothers to engage in open, effective discussions about pornography, often resorting to less constructive communication approaches. These findings emphasize that when fathers participate with emotional presence and clear boundaries, they help cultivate safer and more thoughtful media environments for their teens (Boniel-Nissim, Efrati, & Dolev-Cohen, 2020).
Fathers and teens often face obstacles in discussing pornography. Many fathers report feeling ill-equipped to start conversations—citing uncertainty about how to define pornography in an age-appropriate way, embarrassment, and concerns that such discussions may be socially unacceptable—making practical ability and social attitudes major barriers (Dawson et al., 2024; Dawson et al., 2024). Despite these challenges, both parents and adolescents recognize the value of parental involvement, viewing open communication as essential in preventing inappropriate online content use (Dawson et al., 2024).
Given the consistent findings, interventions should emphasize increasing father–child emotional warmth, encouraging active media mediation, and providing fathers with practical communication tools. A six‑month evaluation of Media Aware Parent, a web-based program designed to improve media-related dialogue and communication about sex and relationships between parents and teens (n = 375 parent–child pairs), found sustained improvements in parents’ restrictive media mediation and teens’ awareness of family media rules. Additionally, adolescents reported increased perceptions of parental support and engagement in media discussions—changes that were not immediately visible at post-test but emerged by six months—indicating meaningful shifts in both parent behavior and parent–adolescent relationship quality over time (Dodson, Scull, & Schoemann, 2022).
By integrating these elements—emotional availability, boundary-setting, active media dialogue, and practical support—fathers can significantly reduce teen pornography engagement. Such involvement strengthens teens’ self-regulatory skills and helps them cultivate healthier attitudes toward sexuality and digital content.
Floyd Godfrey PhD is a Certified Mental Health Coach and has been guiding clients since 2000. He currently speaks and provides consulting and mental health coaching across the globe. To learn more about his services please visit his website: www.FloydGodfrey.com
References
Andrie, E. K., Sakou, I. I., Tzavela, E. C., Richardson, C., & Tsitsika, A. K. (2021). Adolescents’ Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries. Children, 8(10), 925.
Boniel-Nissim, M., Efrati, Y., & Dolev-Cohen, M. (2019). Parental mediation regarding children’s pornography exposure: The role of parenting style, protection motivation, and gender. The Journal of Sex Research. Advance online publication.
Dodson, C. V., Scull, T. M., & Schoemann, A. M. (2023). A six-month outcome evaluation of Media Aware Parent, a parent-based media mediation and sexual health communication program to promote adolescent sexual health. Journal of Health Communication, 27(11–12), 825–838.
Li, X., Zhang, J., & Chen, Y. (2023). Family functioning and problematic internet pornography use among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of belongingness. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 119983.
Dawson, K., Nic Gabhainn, S., Friday, R., & MacNeela, P. (2024). Barriers and recommendations for parent–child conversations about pornography. Frontiers in Sociology. Advance online publication.
