When two Cape Town high school girls were implicated in the making of an animal crush porn video recently, the public was shocked and outraged.
Animal crush porn, or crush porn, involves persons engaging in sexual acts while they crush small animals such as puppies, rats or fish. This fetish has various other bizarre branches and there are many dedicated websites on the internet.
It is reported that the girls were paid R1 500 each to perform in the video, which went viral on the internet as well as social media.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is considering laying charges against the school girls.
The question that has been raised is to what extent the porn problem affects school children in Roodepoort.
The record spoke to educational psychologist Piet Grobler and ex-police captain Jan Combrink who are involved in a forensic investigations company’s youth development programme.
“Some schools, such as the school I am involved with, are lucky and are spared the scourge of pornography, but I am aware of certain schools on the West Rand where it definitely is a problem,” says Grobler.
“We take the holistic approach at the school I deal with by addressing the problem individually, discussing it and making information available.
“At the moment we find that due to the proliferation of technology and the easy access to social media the problem is getting worse. It starts with selfies but often degenerate into more explicit video material. What is shocking though is that it is more prevalent among girls than boys,” says Grobler.
“Unfortunately these children are not ready to deal with pornography or the implications of being involved in it,” says Grobler.
Combrink told the record that he has received reports that ‘crush videos’ are being made on the West Rand but has not been able to prove it yet.
“A few years ago we had the case in Randburg though where people were making ‘snuff movies’ (movies in which a person is murdered while having sex),” says Combrink.
“Pornography, like drugs, has a snowball effect as children are over-stimulated by technology and forever looking for the next big thrill. This pushes them to engage in increasingly perverted activities.
“I was involved in an investigation at a school on the West Rand where the children were filming other children having sex before school and then immediately distributing it via the social media chains,” says Combrink.
“The other problem is that drugs often heighten the children’s sexual drive, which could lead to this type of behaviour and worse, such as rape.
“The biggest problem is that many children are depressed and feel rejected, and there is no bond and communication between them and their parents anymore. Pornography becomes another form of escapism and a way to try and feel good. Ultimately drugs and pornography are destroying our young people,” says Combrink.
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