Last Updated on April 19, 2025, 12:46 PM AST by Anthony Morris
Trinidad and Tobago: The United National Congress has identified Pornography, Addiction & Mental Health Crisis as some of the biggest issues that the nation is currently facing. The political party acknowledges that the discussion that they have taken up is not comfortable.
However, the leadership has asserted that the discussion is extremely important as pornography has turned into an epidemic. The UNC leadership said that these are some of the most pressing social issues.
Due to the increased availability of pornographic content in the hands of the people, there is a sharp and worrying increase in sexualization of children. This has led to increase in the number of cases of sexual abuse in the previous decade. ‘
One of the major reasons for this, according to the UNC is the increased access to sexual content to the children. The children, according to the United National Congress, are being exposed to overly sexualised content as early as five years old.
The sources for this can be television shows, cartoons, movies, social media, YouTube and more. Young children are being forced into dressing up in a sexual manner, partake in sexually charged conversations before their age.
The UNC leader highlighted that it is not uncommon to see adults engage in sexual behaviours in the presence of children. Children, according to the UNC Political Leader, are dressing up in such a way that they look older.
The leaders believe the issue needs serious discussion from all perspectives. UNC political leaders, stakeholders, partners and experts need to come together to open dialogue on the issue.
The UNC asserts that the problems should not be filed under taboo and swept under the rug. It is important to address the crisis so that they can protect and take care of their children.
They highlighted that in the last decade, pornography sites have increased exponentially. The content that the people are being exposed to needs to be addressed appropriately.
The content can have a severe effect on the psyche of the children as the world wide web is extremely accessible and can be a cause of concern for the nation, which has in the last decade seen a marked increase in crime, assault and child abuse reports.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
