PETITION FOR INTERNET CHILD PROTECTION

To the Honorable President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled:

We, the undersigned citizens of Australia draw to the attention of the Senate the common incidence of children being exposed to Internet web sites portraying explicit sexual images. These images may involve children/teens, sexual violence, bestiality, and other disturbing material. Many such web sites use aggressive, deceptive or intrusive techniques to induce viewing. We submit to the Senate that:

Exposure to pornography is a form od sexual assault against children and should be considered, like all sexual    abuse of children, as a serious matter causing lasting harm.

It is not adequate to charge individual parents with the chief responsibility for protecting their children from Internet pornographers determined to promote their product, OR to expect parents to teach children to cope with the damaging effects of pornographic images AFTER exposure.

It is the primary duty of community and Government to prevent children being exposed to pornography in the first place by placing restrictions on pornographers and those businesses distributing such material.

Internet Service providers (ISP's) should accept responsibility for protecting children from Internet pornography, including liability for harm caused to children by inadequate efforts to protect minors from exposure.

Your petitioners therefore call upon the Senate to take legislative action to restrict children's exposure to Internet pornography. We support the introduction of mandatory filtering of pornographic content by ISP's and age verification technology to restrict minors' access.

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Please print names and addresses clearly and post to:

THE AUSTRALIAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION

Reply Paid P.O.Box 186 North Melbourne Vic 3051

by December 31st 2004