Australian experts warn that child-on-child sexual assaults are rising due to youth exposure to readily available pornography that depicts violent, degrading acts and coercion.

Experts attending the day-long Pornography and Harms to Children and Young People symposium at the University of New South Wales on Tuesday warn the availability of pornography is causing children to engage in problem sexual behaviour.

"We cannot ignore the dramatic rise of child-on-child sexual assault due to pornography," Australian Childhood Foundation spokeswoman Coralie Alison told local media.

"Examples include digital and penile penetration of other children, oral sex, sexual touching of other children, and sex acts with animals."

The foundation's chief executive Joe Tucci told Fairfax Media rather than being alarmist about online pornography, he wants adults to realize the danger it poses to children.

"We've dropped them in an adult world," Tucci said.

"We have created technology that has made this accessible to children and we're not interested in the impact it's having."

Liz Walker, author of the book Not For Kids, said there is already a generation of children who view degrading violent sex as the norm, devoid of connection, intimacy and love.

"If somebody doesn't speak out soon, we are staring down the barrel of tomorrow's sex offenders and a barrage of intimate partner violence," Walker said. Endit

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