Media ‘influence’ adolescent sex

Thursday March 23rd 2006, 11:44 pm
Filed under: Newspapers

Children and teenagers who are exposed to sex through the media are more likely to engage in sexual activity than those who are not, according to new research. A study by an American team has found a direct relationship between the amount of sexual content children see and their level of sexual activity or their intentions to have sex in the future. The survey, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and online, claims that film, television, music and magazines may act as a kind of ’sexual super peer’ for teenagers seeking information about sex. It also suggests that the media have at least as great an influence on sexual behaviour as religion or a child’s relationship with their parents and peers. The study found that films, TV programmes, music and magazines usually portrayed sex as ‘risk-free’. Sex was usually between unmarried couples and examples of using condoms or other contraception were ‘extremely rare’. The study concluded: ‘Adolescence is a developmental period that is characterised by intense information-seeking, especially about adult roles and, given the lack of information about sexuality readily available to teens, adolescents may turn to the media for information about sexual norms.’ (The Guardian,March 23, 2006)

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