Meryl Natow, Renzo Perez-Acosta, Haya Shaath
Brothers teach brothers about sexual health, behavior and influences
With the rise of digital media and personal devices, people have more access to content and misinformation. This can be problematic when adolescents have free reigns to explore the internet, before developing a moral code of ethics.
According to research cited by Cindy Gallop, boys between the ages of 8 and 13 begin to watch porn, some as young as 6. For many, it is their first exposure to sex – and so they are susceptible to inaccurate portrayal of sex and affection. While schools do provide sex education, interactions are limited to teacher-student information sharing – leaving the boys restricted when asking personal questions.
Conversations about sex and porn are already happening between young boys and their older brothers. Older brothers – who tend to be more knowledgeable and experienced – are role models that younger brothers look up to. The Bro Code is a toolkit that informs and facilitates constructive conversations about sexual practices that older brothers can share with their younger brothers.
Research references and resources
The full BroCode presentation
Cindy Gallop, Make Love Not Porn TED Talk
Albury, K., Porn and sex education, porn as sex education Porn Studies Journal, 2014.
Crit feedback and next steps
– What would Planned Parenthood and the Good Men Project make of this?
– How does a lad know about the Bro Code? GQ magazine? Billboards? Word of mouth?
– What’s the path to participate here? How does he get hold of one? Does an older brother order it or a Mom for an older brother to show to her younger son? From a store? Online?
– Why’s it cardboard?
– What is the precise law that forbids Phys Ed (sex ed) teachers advising schoolchildren other than very generally?
Technologies for Designing Change 