Children Exposed to Pornographic Images on the Internet: General and Specific Aspects in a Psychoanalytic Perspective

ABSTRACT Online access to the Internet by minors is an increasingly widespread phenomenon, which offers a hitherto-unknown interactivity to children giving them easy access to pornographic images. These images can assume traumatic relevance, relating at the same time to the complexity of infantile sexuality. In this paper we investigate the phenomenon from a metapsychological point of view, highlighting the importance for the child to rely on an adequately present adult and pointing out that it’s not just the content of pornographic images, but the lack of contact with an Object, that constitutes trauma for children. This leads to take in count also the internal difficulties of the adult in facing these situations, with implications for our care practices.