The deeply concerning way porn is changing the brains of young boys.

One in three young Australians are turning to violent porn to learn about sex, and it's having "devastating" effects on their relationships and attitudes towards women, new research suggests.

On average, boys are first watching porn as young as 13.2 years and girls 13.9 — often before they can properly understand what they're seeing, according to a new survey by Our Watch, the leading national organisation for the prevention of violence against women and children.

In 2018, this age was 16 for girls.

Even more concerning is 31 per cent of participants are watching porn as a form of sex education, despite many knowing it's not a good way to learn about sex.

Our Watch found, while some research shows pornography can have a positive impact on young people's sexualisation and experiences, "the large majority identifies that early exposure to pornography can have a significant negative impact on the development of young people's attitudes and practices about gender roles, identities and relationships".

The porn young people are watching now features higher rates of violence against women, CEO Patty Kinnersly tells Mamamia.

And this doesn't exist in isolation.

"Messages reinforced in pornography impact how they view healthy relationships," Patty said.

"When men hold attitudes of disrespect towards women, they're more likely to be violent… There are real-life impacts on women."

Watch: Our Watch's The Line explains toxic masculinity. Post continues below.

According to the report, which surveyed more than 830 young Australians aged 16 to 20, half of young men watch porn at least once a week and nearly 20 per cent almost daily.

And while the survey highlighted porn itself was not necessarily harmful, the vast majority of respondents agreed the content pushed stereotypes of what's expected of men and women in sex, was degrading to women and people of different races and impacted how women are viewed.

A recent NSW health report showed exposure to violent porn was one of the four common factors behind harmful adolescent behaviours.

"They're seeing visual representations of aggression towards women that's being normalised," Patty said.

Mum and anti-domestic violence speaker Jas Rawlinson experienced this firsthand.

Jas recalls when the revenge porn video of Paris Hilton came out in the early 2000s.

"I remember the way that impacted the guys around me, the things they did, the things they said. It's even worse for our kids now," she tells Mamamia.

"Early exposure to pornography bleeds the empathy out of boys… it's having such a tragic and devastating impact on our young people.

"When all you're really seeing is violence, and violence and aggression are met with signs of pleasure from the person, you're going to think those kinds of intimate actions are what women want and what you're supposed to do as a young man."

Acts such as sexual choking or strangulation have become mainstream, with more than half of women aged 18 to 35 reporting being strangled during sex at least once.

With pornography so easily accessible, there are concerns young people may feel like they have to take part in such acts because it's normalised online.

"Boys think, 'I need to choke a girl during sex, this is what's going to be enjoyable for her'… They're modelling and mimicking what they see," Jas said.

"I have empathy for our young people because they're doing their best with what they're coming across.. but it's incredibly dangerous.

"It's incredibly concerning to me as a person and a parent."

Addressing this is multi-faceted, Patty says.

Many parents aren't aware their child is watching porn or the nature of the porn they're watching, so education is the first step.

"The online environment and the porn and depiction of violence against women in particular is something most adults didn't grow up with themselves. We can't rely on our own experiences," Patty said.

"Parents need to understand what porn is and the impact it's having on young people and their development and relationships."

Jas Rawlinson says the accessibility of pornography is damaging young people and their attitudes towards women. Image: Louise Wright.

For Jas, those conversations with her seven-year-old boy are age-appropriate discussions about consent and healthy relationships.

"We break it down and talk to him about boundaries… and if he feels scared or uncomfortable, there are only two things he needs to do: turn away and tell a safe person."

Jas believes consent training isn't enough and an age-verification software that blocks access to pornographic websites and content is the "only way to make a dent".

and age-verification software that blocks access to pornographic websites and content

"We need more action in this space," she said.

"If we can't stop the exposure of kids to this stuff we won't see a reduction in violence against women and misogynistic attitudes towards women."

Patty agrees, saying schools, parents and the government all have a role to play.

She encouraged parents to do their own research through resources such as Our Watch's The Line campaign.

"Find ways to have those conversations. Make sure young people are engaging with adults across their lives where they can have trusted conversations.

"This is like a big puzzle and everybody has to do their part."

Feature image: Getty.