However, NCOSE researchers have still found sexually graphic written content on high school databases, including sexually graphic written descriptions and instructions for oral sex and other sexual acts. NCOSE recognizes improvements within the high school databases.The vast majority of these graphic results came directly from EBSCO’s middle school and elementary school databases. On June 23rd 2017, EBSCO wrote to NCOSE saying they were ‘confident’ the sexually graphic content was completely removed from their school products, but on June 26th NCOSE researchers found over 50 sexually graphic articles across 4 states in 50 minutes of searching. The presence of such explicit material in a platform meant for children and teenagers to use while at school or for homework, sends a particularly damaging message to young people that the behavior featured (examples include: group or hook-up sex, incest, “sugar dating” and prostitution in order to pay for college) is normal and expected adult behavior. ![]() Some of this material has direct links to hardcore pornography websites staying within the EBSCO database bypassing school filters. ![]() We also remain concerned that EBSCO places most of the responsibility for removing such content on school and library administrators, yet EBSCO doesn’t adequately warn these administrators that the content is available so easily on its systems. Unfortunately, there is still sexually explicit content on EBSCO databases marketed to schools as safe and curriculum appropriate. We are grateful that EBSCO took on constructive criticism from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and others, to address those problems. Now, searches for even pornographic terms often yield no result in these databases. ![]() Just two years ago basic searches for innocent search terms like “7 th grade biology” or “respiration” would yield results with pornographic images or explicit instructions on risky sex acts. We want to acknowledge that EBSCO has made significant progress over the last two years, particularly in educational databases meant for elementary students and also in those meant for middle school students. See the letter from EBSCO and our response here. As part of our ongoing advocacy efforts to hold EBSCO accountable and to educate parents of the increased risk of exposure to harmful materials through school-provided resources during COVID-19, NCOSE published a blog on September 1, 2020, Corporations in the Classroom: What are Google and EBSCO teaching our kids? The blog included several calls to action, including emailing EBSCO asking them to remove pornography and sexually explicit material from databases accessed by minors.Īlmost two months later, NCOSE received a “cease and desist” letter from EBSCO’s legal counsel.
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