When parents try to protect their children from addiction, they often take preventative steps to keep them from alcohol, drug or even computer and video-game addictions. However, they might overlook a very real danger that lurks beneath the surface, one that isn’t nearly so obvious - porn addiction. With constant bombardment from the media, parents might not have parental controls in place, or the teens might know how to disable them. As a result, even pre-teens can be exposed to porn, increasing the risk of possible addiction.
Ways to Combat a Porn Addiction
In order to successfully fight a porn addiction, your son will need to go through the following steps:
- Admit that he has a problem with porn – Your son might refuse to face that he is dealing with an issue, so be prepared to meet with resistance when he is confronted.
- Find an adult to hold him accountable – His father, stepdad or another authority figure can act as a role model.
- Agree to online accountability – You will need to install software to monitor your son’s computer use and the use of his mobile device. Consider a possible app, such as “Victory.” Available through Apple, the free app, which uses a Christian perspective, helps users identify their triggers and works with them to avoid pitfalls. The app includes a calendar tracker, a journal, a review of monthly progress and an accountability button to send an alert to a pre-designated person requesting prayer support.
- Have your son get rid of any other porn - DVDs or magazines might also present a problem.
- Discuss other media, including television and movies – Many shows, even sitcoms, include sexual scenes or degrade women in general. You can help your son avoid anything with questionable sexual content.
- Help your son understand that the women in porn shows and movies are real people – They are being devalued by the process and might even be a victim of sex trafficking.
- Take a long, hard look at how the addiction started – While not always the case, a porn addiction does not happen overnight. Begin by reviewing attitudes, choices, decisions and opinions with your son in order to find out what he is thinking.
Sending Your Son to Boot Camp
When all else fails, a boot camp for troubled teens might be one option to address your son’s porn addiction. However, you might instead consider the more tempered approach of a therapeutic boarding school. The program will still limit his access to computers and all electronic devices, which means that he will need to completely quit his addiction. In addition, he will spend his time substituting positive activities instead, such as:
- A strict schedule
- Structured discipline
- Physical exertion and exercise
- Teamwork and
- Caring and concerned staff to work with your son.
Therapeutic boarding school instills a new-found self-worth for teen boys so that they can face their problems and overcome destructive behaviors, including porn addiction.
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