8 year old has seen explicit sites

[fayeandben]

Before I start please don’t tell me about my stupidity and how naive I’ve been because I’m already beating myself up overnitnall I’m absolutely heartbroken.

This morning I found on my sons iPad he has been viewing YouTube videos on how to please a woman. Anal sites. Blowjobs. The lot over a few weeks. I just thought he was on ROBLOX and kids YouTube that we downsloaded and his games. I’m absolutely broken I’ve pulled him over it and he was so scared and upset and just thought I was going to be angry and he obviously doesn’t understand the severity of what he’s being viewing. Myself my partner and my mum, dad and sister have had a sit down chat with him about where he would even think about looking at things like this and he says school friends. We live in a lovely neighbourhood and I can’t see his friends being so ruthless but as I’ve noticed you have no idea what kids think about these days. I don’t know what to do. All I’ve done for now is say he can’t use the iPad anymore and I will be speaking with his school to let them know and hopefully school will speak to classes in his year too.

I feel like I’m looking at him differently. I’m so upset my precious little boy has seen such vile things and it’s broken me. He has a little sister too which he says he never said anything to her about. I’m also pregnant and the stress of this is worrying me. I have no idea who or even if I need to speak to somebody if it’s done any long term damage to him it sounds stupid but I’m so worried.

When they go back. Speak to pastoral support at school as they may need to offer some better education around online safety if he has come accross this through friends. If school are aware then they can monitor and support those who may need it - there could be a wider issue here.
It must be horrendous and can't imagine. Feel like he is tainted somewhat. Try not to view him this way. Particularly as you say he did not know particularly the severity of his actions. I think he will thing twice before doing this in future and having talks from several of your family will have compounded the severity. I would say limit tablet time - he has to be in the room with you whilst on internet etc and you must be able to view things as and when you choose or he doesn't get access at all. Build up trust again slowly.

School pastoral support will be able to make any necessary referrals or provide access to appropriate professionals if needed - it won't be the first time they have come accross something like this. Take care op

None of this is your young boy’s fault. Do not for one second let him get the idea that he is ‘tainted’ or that he has broken your trust.

He was crying his eyes out while we spoke to him and it broke my heart. I couldn’t explain more that it wasn’t his fault. He eventually calmed down and listened to what we was saying. He tried to explain where he heard it all from but I guess I will never know. Maybe just click bait online adverts and stuff and he’s remembered it because he didn’t understand it and then searched it again. He’s been like normal today seems to be a little different hugging me more and swept the floor without being asked. I don’t want him to be different with me because then I know he’s thinking about it. mAYbe tomorrow will be different once we have all slept on it. I’m just broken right now

I'm so sorry :( this is awful. His innocence was snatched from him too early. Definitely notify the school OP. Also, he must feel so ashamed. Poor baby, he's far far far too young for that. My condolences to you.

I must be really naive but I didn't realise YouTube had dodgy links on it?

We have parental controls set by our internet provider and I've tested it and it seems to block pornographic material. I didn't know that this sort of stuff was on YouTube though. My young son is a massive follower of vloggers on YouTube.

We have all moved on from it for now. He doesn’t seem affected by it. And the school did a night where parents could come in and they could show them how to make internet safe for children. Unfortunately u can’t stop everything they said. It’s just unfortunate. I didn’t taken his pad away because I didn’t want him thinking I didn’t trust him. What I did do is check every night once he is bed his history if he’s been on YouTube. What I have found since then is him searching people sex. So I sat him down and asked what he was so interested in. He said he has heard people talk about sex in school and wanted to know what it was. So (because I’m pregnant ) I said it’s how me and Ben are having a baby. It’s how men and women make babies. And he hasn’t searched for anything since. I think what he did was search people sex in wonderment and just clicked on different things until it was explicit which is easy done. He’s absolutely fine though as far as I’m aware. I ask him from time to time if there’s anything he would like to talk about. And he’s fine xxx thanks for ur support. It was hard at the time xxxx