Vault: We Can't Believe These Statistics About Young Children

Summary

The Bert Show Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Vault: We Can't Believe These Statistics About Young Children
Date: March 31, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this sobering and candid discussion, The Bert Show team reacts to shocking statistics about the early onset of sexual activity and exposure to explicit content among young children and preteens. Hosts Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and callers share personal stories and perspectives, debating when parents should start having “the talk,” and reflecting on how kids' access to information and technology is changing childhood.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shocking Data on Young Kids’ Sexual Activity (01:03–03:59)

• Stats from the University of Texas School of Public Health:
  • 12% of 12-year-olds (6th–7th graders) have had sex.
  • 8% have engaged in oral sex.
  • 6.5% (about 1 in 15) have engaged in “back door” sex.
• Bert expresses disbelief and worry as a parent:
  "I don't always think about it, but I'm certainly present to wondering when I'm supposed to have that talk with Hayden and how it's going to be awkward no matter what." (01:24–01:41)
• Emphasis that these numbers mean, statistically, "one of your kids listening right now has done this." (02:28)

2. Impact on Childhood & Early Exposure (03:20–05:05)

• The hosts lament the loss of innocence for children growing up today:
  • Cassie (F): “They’re not allowed to be kids… It’s sad that they’re having to deal with such adult things so young, stealing their childhood.” (03:20)
• 1 in 3 sexually active middle schoolers have had unprotected sex in the past 90 days; 1 in 4 have had four or more partners. (03:34–03:59)

3. Even Younger: Exposure to Pornography (04:13–05:06)

• Shocking UK survey: 1 in 3 girls ages 6 to 10 admit to having looked at porn sites.
• Bert reacts personally:
  "That's me thinking Hayden is doing his math upstairs. And I open up his door and there he is on his computer looking at porn at six years old." (04:32)
• Worries about body image, mental health, and early sexualization are voiced:
  “That’s gonna warp their perceptions of everything.” (04:43, F)

4. Callers Share Real-Life Stories

• John (G): Personal Experience (06:09–05:49)
  • Lost virginity at 12 due to early exposure to pornography by an adult babysitter.
  • Hosts are shocked the babysitter was in her late 30s/early 40s, not a teen as expected.
  • “Growing up, my babysitter used to watch all kinds of… porn around all the kids she was babysitting.” (05:33)
• Linda & Melody: School Bus Drivers (06:01–07:32)
  • Stories of middle schoolers discussing and engaging in sexual acts on the bus and at school.
  • Melody shares she had to call police when she caught 12-year-olds having sex on her school bus.
    “When I pulled over, the girl was getting off the boy… and they were actually in the act…” (07:34)

5. Student Perspective: Nicole (Seventh Grader) (07:55–08:53)

• Nicole confirms these behaviors are not exaggerated:
  • Shares that multiple girls in her school became pregnant as young as seventh grade (age 12–13).
  • Says nearly half of her peers are sexually active, some even with high schoolers.
  • “I don’t really hang out with the people who are having sex because I don’t want to be influenced by that.” (08:25)

6. Parental Attitudes, Technology, and Peer Pressure (06:38–09:41)

• Hosts stress that modern parenting is less strict and that kids have unprecedented access to explicit material via internet and mobile phones.
  • “Now you got to be on top of everything.” (06:38, B)
• The reluctance of parents to have uncomfortable conversations is highlighted as a major issue:
  • “It’s like we avoid any kind of conversation that’s going to be uncomfortable… And in this case, parents don’t want to have the awkward conversation with their kids. And the result is they’re having sex at 12 years old. That’s crazy.” (06:54, B)
• The importance of peer pressure at that age:
  “At 12, you’re not going to be the holdout… you want to be cool, you want to be accepted.” (09:23–09:32, F)

7. Concluding Insights & Parental Takeaways (09:41–10:44)

• Recap of statistics and renewed urgency for early conversations with kids about sex and the internet.
  • “So when is the appropriate time to have to talk with your kids? It’s before 12 now. It’s before 12.” (10:45, B)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bert (01:24): “I don’t always think about it, but I'm certainly present to wondering when I'm supposed to have that talk with Hayden…”
• Cassie (03:20): “It’s sad that they’re having to deal with such adult things so young, stealing their childhood.”
• Bert (04:32): “That's me thinking Hayden is doing his math upstairs… on his computer looking at porn at six years old.”
• Nicole (08:25): “I don’t really hang out with the people who are having sex because I don’t want to be influenced by that.”
• Bert (10:45): “So when is the appropriate time to have to talk with your kids? It’s before 12 now. It’s before 12.”

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Important Timestamps

• Start of Discussion & Initial Stats — 01:03
• Early Exposure & UK Porn Study — 04:13
• Caller: John’s Story — 05:09
• School Bus Drivers’ Observations — 06:01, 07:21
• Middle Schooler Nicole’s Perspective — 07:55
• Parenting & Technology Challenges — 06:38, 09:41
• Host and Listener Reflections/Advice — 09:41–10:44

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Summary Takeaways

The hosts and callers of The Bert Show paint a concerning but honest picture of how early children are exposed to sex and explicit material, largely due to easy internet access, peer pressure, and a lack of open, early communication from parents. The episode’s urgent message is clear: uncomfortable or not, parents need to start talking with their children about sex and technology earlier than ever before—before the age of 12.

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This summary distills the heart of the episode for parents, educators, and anyone concerned about childhood and adolescence in the digital age.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hey, the bird show. And I don't even know what the question is to ask you guys to call up for. Maybe it's just like this open conversation about it, but I'm sure some of you guys have stories when you realized your kids knew more about sex than you thought that they knew. Like your 9 year old comes home and says something that you're like, how did you even know about that? These are gonna shock you. I mean these are 12 year olds we're talking about here. 12 years old. And as I said before, as a parent of a six year old, you know, I don't always think about it, but I'm certainly present to wondering when I'm supposed to have that talk with Hayden and how it's going to be awkward no matter what. But it's going to have to be done. And I do know that it's going to have to be before 12 years old according to these stats. Okay, you ready for these?

[D]

You got to record that.

[B]

What's that?

[D]

The conversation with Hayden for the air.

[E]

Oh.

[B]

According to a new study by the University of Texas, their School of public health, 12% of 12 year olds, meaning kids in sixth and seventh grade, have had sex already. 12% 12 years old.

[D]

Now they study kids outside of Texas too, because that's its own special land.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's in the country.

[D]

Guess what? By 10 they've got fake boobs and big blonde hair.

[B]

I mean, 12%, you want to go, ah, 12%, that's one in every 10 of you that are listening that has a 12 year old and you think, you know what, I don't need to have that conversation with. They're already having sex.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Nearly 8% of 12 year olds have engaged in, I'll just say it, oral. 8% of 12 year olds. 12 year old on a 12 year old. 8%, 6 and a half percent of 12 year olds. And again, I mean 6 and a half percent, you're like, that's not bad. Well that means one of your kids listening right now has done this. Or nearly 1 in 15 have engaged in. Back door, back door, back door. 1 in 1512 year olds are knocking on the back door.

[E]

And here's the thing is like, you know, because a lot of people may not think it's their kid. Okay, well, let's say it's not your kid. But there's a kid at school that has. And there's a kid at school that's talking about it. The first time I ever heard about anything and what anything is and how anything's done and drawings or whatever was in school. Not for my parents.

[F]

I think what's so sad is they're not allowed to be kids. Like 12 year olds should still be a kid. They want to run around and play and be goofy and be a kid because it's sad that they're having to deal with such adult things so young, stealing their childhood.

[B]

The back door is no game. That is no game. 1 in 1512 year olds, overall, 1 in 3 sexually active middle school students have had unprotected sex in the past 90 days. One in four have been with four or more partners. 25% 12 year olds that are engaging in sex, if they've done it with one, they've done it with more than that.

[D]

I believe that because at age 12 you don't have the capacity to process what you're doing. So it's just a fun.

[E]

You keep trying.

[D]

Yeah, it's a fun thing to do. It's a, it's the equivalent of a candy bar. Oh, that's really good. I'm going to do it again.

[B]

Melissa can go younger than that on you.

[E]

Oh my God.

[B]

Listen to this.

[E]

I just read this maybe five minutes ago where there was a survey that took place in the United Kingdom and they found that 1 in 3 girls, 1 in 3 girls, all girls between the ages of 6 and 10. 6 and 10. So this is younger than the 12 admit that they have looked at porn sites.

[B]

That's Hayden, that's me. That's me thinking Hayden is doing his math upstairs. And I open up his door and there he is on his computer looking at porn at six years old.

[E]

One in three. One in three girls.

[F]

And that's gonna warp their perceptions of everything.

[E]

Yeah, that's not where you're body image, their don't grow up too fast. You hear that? I heard that when I was young and I thought I'll shut up. But I mean, the thing is all this complicates your life. And so I think when we were

[F]

growing up, they said don't grow up too fast when we were like 16, 17 and 18.

[E]

We're telling a six year old that now.

[F]

Yeah, now we're talking about 10 and 12 year olds.

[E]

Mm.

[B]

John, good morning. You're on Q100. Hi.

[G]

I first had sex when I was 12 because that's when I started doing like drinking and smoking cigarettes and doing everything.

[F]

So that means you were a sixth

[G]

grader in seventh grade. Yeah.

[F]

Who did you have sex with?

[G]

Another girl in my class. I used to have my mom take me to school early. Everybody used to hang out. So we went to the auditorium of the school.

[E]

If you could look back on what in your life could have kept you from doing that, what would it have been?

[G]

When I was younger, growing up, my babysitter used to watch all kinds of different kinds of porn around, like all the kids she was babysitting. We never really thought about it.

[B]

And how old was she?

[G]

Late 30s, early 40s.

[B]

Oh, I wasn't expecting that.

[E]

You wanted that argument to say no teenage babysitter?

[B]

I did because I have a strict no teen babysitting policy.

[E]

So he was exposed to porn early.

[D]

You just moved babysitters up to 50.

[B]

I know, right? Linda, good morning.

[H]

I have been driving a school bus for 14 years and I can tell you, 10 years ago, I had my middle school kids talking about going to Six Flags and having oral sex on the roller coasters. I've had kids get defended from school because they've had been caught in the middle school bathrooms having sex.

[F]

Why do you think it's younger now than it used to be? Because of their exposure to things? Or is it that whole like, there's hormones in the milk thing?

[H]

It's not like when we were younger, they see it when they play video games, they see it when they watch tv. They're totally doing it. I'm not surprised at all.

[B]

I don't think parenting is good now as it was years ago. It's not as Strict, and people aren't paying attention. You didn't have as many things to look over your shoulders, kids, for years ago. Now you got to be on top of everything.

[D]

Computers, cell phones, movies, Internet access on your mobile phone.

[B]

It's like we avoid any kind of conversation that's going to be uncomfortable. I mean, you can listen to the show any given day, any given hour, and you can hear how these people call up. They know the advice to give themselves. And that's to talk to your best friend, talk to your mother because you're having a problem with her or your father. But nobody wants to have the awkward conversation. And in this case, parents don't want to have the awkward conversation with their kids. And the result is they're having sex at 12 years old. That's crazy. Melody.

[I]

I am a school bus driver for Fulton county, and I have actually had 12 year old sixth graders have sex on the bus. And I had to pull over and have local police come and remove those children.

[H]

How did you know there was children

[I]

standing up in the back of the bus? And I kept asking the children to sit down. They would not sit down. And they were laughing. A lot of the kids were like, oh, my God, look. Look what they're doing. And I could not see. So when I pulled over, the girl was getting off of the boy. She was sitting on top of the boy, and they were actually in the act of having sex.

[B]

Nicole is a seventh grader. Hey, Nicole, do these statistics seem a little bit crazy to you?

[I]

Not at all.

[B]

Really? And what grade are you in?

[I]

I'm in seventh. When I was in fifth grade last year, there were two eighth graders who were pregnant and they had to leave. And then there was three seventh graders who are pregnant.

[B]

And seventh grade puts you at what age?

[I]

12, 13 and 12.

[B]

And does it seem like when you look at your group of friends, does it seem like more of them are having sex or less of them are having sex?

[I]

Well, I don't really hang out with the people who are having sex because I don't want to be influenced by that.

[F]

About what percentage would you say of your class is having sex?

[I]

Probably two thirds? A half? A little below a half. Astonishing. Like how much you would think, are

[F]

they mostly having sex with people their own age or is it older kids?

[I]

They'll be doing it with like people in eighth grade. And then some people are doing it with high schoolers.

[F]

High schoolers.

[D]

Wow.

[B]

Okay, thank you.

[E]

Thank you for your honesty.

[B]

Yeah, I was hoping she was gonna call up and go, no, no, no, No, I don't know anybody like that. No.

[E]

I am curious though. When she said I don't want to be influenced by that. I wanted to ask her conversation with her parents.

[B]

Yeah, like what did they say?

[E]

Obviously that was a conversation she had with her parents. Feel that way.

[F]

We've talked about this a hundred times on the Bird show about when you're a teenager, the most important thing in the world is to be accepted by your friends and to feel cool. Right. So if that's what your group is doing, whatever your your kids friends are doing, that's what your kids are doing too.

[E]

Right.

[F]

You know, if they're hanging out with people that are having sex, they're having sex. They're hanging out with people that are doing drugs. They're doing drugs.

[D]

At 12, you're not going to be the holdout.

[F]

No, you want to be.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

You want to be cool, you want to be accepted. And that's like number one important thing when you're that age because you're just so awkward and you want to belong.

[B]

You know, I look at this my child who's almost seven years old now, and he seems to me to be like this slice of innocence. I just can't imagine sitting down with him and having that talk at 7 years old. But I guess that's what you want to do if your alarm just went off at 6:30 this morning. The reason why we were talking about that for the last 10 minutes. There's shocking stats coming out. According to a new study coming out at University of Texas, 12% of 12 year olds, kids in the 6th and 7th grade, 12% have confessed to having sex. 8% of 12 year olds have engaged in oral. 1 in 15 have engaged in the back door. Already 12 years old, y'.

[I]

All.

[B]

1 in 3 sexually active middle school students have had unprotected sex in the last three months. One in four have been with four or more partners by 12 years old. And then there was the Melissa statistic today.

[E]

Yeah. This came out of United kingdom talking about 1 in 3 girls ages 6 to 10 admitted to already looking at porn sites online. 1 in 3 girls ages 6 to10.

[B]

So when is the appropriate time to have to talk with your kids? It's before 12 now. It's before 12. Hey, the bird show.

[C]

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[A]

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