New Lesson Plans on Internet Pornography, “Choking”, Sexting & Nudies
As we know, children and young people are naturally extremely curious about sex. Being digital natives they will seek out information on the internet or stumble across it or receive it from other pupils. Despite the early promise of the Online Safety Act 2023 to deter children having easy access, many are still able to do so. So we need educational tools to help them become aware of the risks. and how to overcome them.
As a teacher you need to know about the evidence for harms for pupils as well as the latest developments in the law in regard to sexting or choking. Sending nudies and dick pics is a common activity among teenagers largely driven by porn use and social media. Influencers like Andrew Tate have have relied on the widespread use of porn by young people to prepare their minds for the distorted messages about how to behave sexually. Our four new lessons provide you with everything you need to feel confident about teaching these subjects and helping pupils think through the issues.
The lessons
Each lesson has PowerPoint slides, a Teacher’s Guide and a Research Note. Some lessons come with videos and other resources to make the lessons as practical as possible.
- Best-ever TEDx talk about Porn and the Brain
- Choking, the Law, and You
- Sexting, Nudies, the Law and You (ages 11-14)
- Sexting, Nudies, the Law and You (ages 14-18)
We’d love your feedback too.
If you have any difficulty downloading a lesson from our site, please go to the TES.com site where the lessons are also available.
Additional support
We also have a free, self-paced, online course for anyone wanting more in-depth information about problematic pornography use. It includes a module on safeguarding for teachers and school leaders.
If the lessons are useful to you, feel free to make a donation to our charity. See the DONATE button in the footer below.
Lesson 1: Best TEDx talk about Porn and the Brain
“Of all activities on the internet, porn has the most potential to become addictive” say Dutch neuroscientists [Predicting Compulsive Internet Use: It’s all about sex!].
In this lesson pupils will learn about the wide-ranging mental and physical health effects of internet porn. It is based on a popular TEDx talk The Great Porn Experiment by former science teacher Gary Wilson and is part of the lesson. This video has over 18 million views. Although the video dates from 2012, it is as relevant today as it was then, perhaps more so. We provide an update on some facts since the 2012 talk. There is a quick quiz to test pupils’ recall, a ‘pair and share’ exercise and a longer period of discussion to allow fuller examination of the very important health issues raised. We do not show pornography in this lesson.
The original TEDx talk was given in Glasgow in 2012 and followed a 4-minute TED talk called The Demise of Guys by renowned social psychology professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University.
For more information on the brain, see Gary Wilson’s best-selling book Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction (now in 18 languages) that expands on the TEDx talk. Proceeds go to The Reward Foundation charity. The website yourbrainonporn.com is the best source for the latest research on porn’s impact on the brain and behaviour.
Resources:
11-slide PowerPoint (.pptx) with 1 embedded video with sound (16 minutes), a 5-page Research Note and a 8-page Teacher’s Guide (.pdf) with hotlinks to relevant research and further resources.
Lesson 2: “Choking”, the Law and You (age 14-18)
Based on a study by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) about the rise in “choking” by teenagers, the BBC reported in July 2026 that 43% of sexually active 16-17 year old had been experienced sexual strangulation. It is a popular activity among teenagers along with images of it. Porn use is the main driver. New legislation in the UK bans images of strangulation and suffocation. ITV’s Coronation Street is currently running a storyline on harms from non-fatal strangulation, such as stroke.
The Online Safety Act 2023 has helped reduce children’s easy access to porn on websites and social media, but not completely. Education is still necessary.
Young people often use the term “choking” when they mean sexual strangulation. The porn industry calls it “air play” or “breath play” to make it sound less risky. Proper legal consent is not the same as consent to being strangled by a love interest. This lesson helps pupils work through the risks with the help of some interviews in video excerpts with a neuropsychologist attached to the IFAS, specialising in stroke damage.
Resources:
14-18 years: 23-slide Power Point; a 10-page Teacher’s Guide; a 3-page Research Note. In addition, there are hotlinks to relevant research and further resources.
Lesson 3: Sexing, Nudies, the Law and You (age 11-14)
Sexting is not a legal term, but has very real legal consequences. It’s often called “nudies” and “dick pics” by pupils. If they are reported to the police, it can cause problems, especially for future job choices, even for voluntary work. The lesson explores four cases studies based on real-life scenarios and offers the chance to discuss issues like relationships, peer pressure and coercion. It shows how the legal authorities might deal with harmful behaviour. It is based on the laws of England and Wales, and of Scotland.
This lesson updates our previous lessons on sexting. It has an easier to use format and takes into account the new legislation around online safety for pupils, including nudification apps, AI deepfakes and images of sexual strangulation and suffocation.
The case studies are suitable for the age group. It has diversity elements and no adult content is shown. There is also information about how to have nude images removed through the Report Remove programme. You can explore some of the key legal issues around sexting. This fully resourced lesson has been developed by lawyers in consultation with teachers, healthcare professionals and parents. It is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.
Resources:
21-slide PowerPoint; a 12-page Teacher’s Guide; a 10-page Research Note. There are hotlinks to relevant research and further resources.
Lesson 4: Sexting, Nudies, the Law and You (ages 14-18)
Sexting is not a legal term, but has very real legal consequences. It’s often called “nudies” and “dick pics” by pupils. If incidences are reported to the police, it can cause problems, especially for future job choices, even for voluntary work. The lesson explores four cases studies based on real life scenarios and offers the chance to discuss issues like relationships, peer pressure and coercion. It shows how the legal authorities might deal with harmful behaviour. It is based on the laws of England and Wales, and of Scotland.
This lesson updates our previous lessons on sexting. It is an easier to use format and takes into account the new legislation around online safety for pupils including nudification apps, AI deepfakes and images of sexual strangulation and suffocation.
The case studies are suitable for the age group 14-18. It has diversity elements and no adult content is shown. There is also information about how to have nude images removed through the Report Remove programme. You can explore some of the key legal issues around sexting. This fully resourced lesson has been developed by lawyers in consultation with teachers, healthcare professionals and parents. It is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.
Resources:
11-14 years: 21-slide Power Point; a 12-page Teacher’s Guide; a 10-page Research Note. There are hotlinks to relevant research and further resources.
Additional Support
As a teacher you may be interested in a free, online, self-paced course about problematic porn use originally accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners. It goes into porn’s impact on the adolescent brain in more detail and has a module on safeguarding in schools, amongst other useful topics.
We’d love your feedback.
If you have any difficulty downloading a lesson from our site, please go to the TES.com site where the lessons are also available.
If the lessons are useful to you, feel free to make a donation to our charity. See the DONATE button in the footer below.