My 11 year old sister is looking at sex sites and following explicit accounts. I also found out that she’s interested in weed and alcohol, is that an act of childhood trauma or something?

Thank you so much for reaching out about your sister. It’s hard to know why she might be looking at inappropriate websites or illegal substances, but what’s most important is that you recognize that it’s not ok. It sounds like this is the sort of thing that needs the help of a trusted adult. Is there someone you can talk to in person about your concerns? Maybe a parent, relative, teacher, doctor, or counselor? The best way to help your sister is to make sure the trusted adults in her life know what’s going on. She’s so lucky to have a caring older sibling like you!


Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.