Oh No! Now What?

Strengthening Children

Use this article written for children (from the February 2014 Friend) to help them know what to do when they encounter pornography. See also the video “What Should I Do When I See Pornography?” and some family home evening lessons on this topic at lds.org/go/childrenE1015.

It can happen anywhere—at home, at school, or at a friend’s house. Suddenly you see something you know isn’t good—on a phone, TV, computer, or game device, or in a book or magazine. Now what can you do to feel better?

• Get away from it. Turn it off. Put it down. Treat it like it’s poison for your brain—because that’s what it is.

• Tell your mom or dad. Parents know you best, and they want to help you be safe and happy. Don’t be embarrassed. What happened to you happens at some time to almost everyone.

• Keep talking. It might help you to tell your mom or dad whenever anything you saw during the day made you feel uncomfortable. Parents can help you make a plan to protect yourself from seeing inappropriate things. If you feel trapped, worried, or like you want to see something inappropriate again, be sure to tell them about that too.

• Don’t just sit there. Watch or read something good. Do something active. Do a good deed. Go be around family or friends.

• Remember who you are. You’re not bad because of what you saw. You are a child of God, and He loves you and wants to help you be safe and happy.

• Let it go. Picture yourself letting go of a balloon and watching it float away. Try to relax and let what you saw float out of your mind. Now picture the temple, your family, or something else you love to see.