7 Steps to Protect Your Family From Pornography

The following links and websites can be helpful, but they are not specifically endorsed by the My House Office: 

Internet Pornography

Computers

• Use accountability and filtering software from Covenant Eyes and
  Safe Eyes

Cell phones

• Sex & Cell Phones: Protect Your Children has helpful information for protecting families from cell phone pornography
• Sexo y Celulares: Proteger a Tus Ninos
• Safe Eyes has filtering for iPhone/iPod Touch
• Covenant Eyes has accountability software for iPhone/iPod Touch and Windows Mobile 6 cell phones and PDAs

Video Games

• iPhantom and Open DNS help to filter a home’s wireless signal which can help protect children on X-Box, Playstation, Wii, and other game systems
  

Monitor all social networking sites for children and teens (Facebook, My Space, xanga.com, etc).

Know all user names and passwords to email, social networking sites, and EVERY site that requires a user name and password for your children and teens.

• Periodically check email, social networking sites
• Periodically check text and / or picture messages on cell phones
  

Secure television and satellite radio, and screen all movies before watching them.

• Christian movie review sites such as the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Plugged in Online provide a detailed review of movies, including a written description of any sexual content, violent content, or other morally offensive content.
• Satellite radio—"family friendly" packages are available without "mature content"
• Block all "adult/mature" content, as well as other channels that may have inappropriate or morally offensive content. (Sky Angel provides family friendly TV packages.)
• Use teachable moments while watching a “family” show that depicts a situation that goes against your family values.
  

Spend quality time with your children and teens.

• Eat family dinners together.
• Affirm your children and teens daily.
• Pray with your children and teens daily.
• Turn off the TV, computer, and cell phone, and talk to your children.
• Have vacation/family gatherings together, and build positive memories.
  

Have open, honest, regular, conversations about God’s glorious plan for creating us male and female and the beauty of our human dignity and sexuality!

• Reading, listen to and become familiar with Theology of the Body (TOB) resources
• loveisfaithful.com has a list of resources on love and intimacy
• Pure Love Club
• Christopher West, Mary Shivanandan and other authors have TOB resources for adults
  

Sacraments Encourage all family members to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation monthly, and go to mass as a family each Sunday.

These are some initial ideas, and for more information and practical ways to protect you family, please look through this site, and visit the resource section.