Exploration of the Family Role in the Consumption of Unconventional Cyber Sexual Content among Adolescents in Tehran

The purpose of this study is to investigate the family-related facilitators and deterrents to the consumption of unconventional sexual content in the Internet and cyberspace (pornography) and suggested strategies to prevent its harm among adolescents. For this purpose, a qualitative research with a basic interpretive approach was conducted using 54 in-depth interviews with girls and boys aged 15-18 years in Tehran in 2016 using purposive sampling. Family factors facilitating the consumption of unconventional sexual content among adolescents were extracted in three main categories: "unbalanced family control and supervision", "communication and emotional problems in the family" and "cognitive weakness" and "media literacy of parents". Family deterrents also included: "Balanced parental control and supervision", "Verbal and emotional communication that builds trust in the family", "Value and moral commitment of the family" and "Emotional support in the family". Proposed family-based strategies to reduce adolescents' vulnerability were suggested within the two main categories: "Exercising balanced family control and supervision" and "Strengthening the appropriate parent-child emotional-verbal relationship." These results can play an important role in educational and counseling interventions in the field of family and media along with other interventions to safeguard adolescents in the digital era.