The wide availability of porn and outdated sex and relationships education (SRE) is to blame for the rise of young people sustaining injuries from violent sex, experts have said.
Leading Australian sex educator, Maree Crabbe, said that teenagers are "seeing a normalisation of sex acts that most people in the real world aren't engaging in or are keen on."
She has also warned that hardcore pornography is "the most prominent sexual educator" for young people.
The shift in information sources could be behind a rise in injuries
Susan McLean, a federal government cyber-safety advisor who speaks to teenagers about online safety and sexuality, said the rise in injuries is a direct result of the access young people have to explicit material.
She told Daily Mail Australia: "I would liken the injuries to my days in the police force when I was dealing with a sexual assault or rape victim who had the act forced upon them."
ABC Australia spoke to 18-year-old Annie Hill, who said: "Hardcore sex like that is the norm. All the available porn is next-level stuff. It's like there's no romance affiliated with sex anymore."
"The boys want to be dominant, they think your body is something they can share around and do whatever they want with," she added.
In the UK, groups are campaigning to update the SRE syllabus in schools, which was written in 2000. The Telegraph's Better Sex Education campaign called for David Cameron to ensure that SRE in schools reflected the digital era we live in.
Cameron told the Telegraph that he backed the changes, saying: "We need to make sure that SRE does address the issues of internet porn."
SEE ALSO:
Joe Hayman, chief executive of charity Personal Social Health and Economic Education Association, said: “It is important that the myths perpetuated in pornography are challenged, at an appropriate age by trained teachers who understand concepts such as healthy relationships and consent."
“Internet filters alone cannot stop pornography being shared with young people. Our focus is on ensuring that children and young people learn about healthy relationships and behaviour in a safe classroom environment and are taught by a trained and confident teacher."