p2pnet.net News:- Teengers who watch TV which has a lot of sexual content are more likely to have sex with each other, "the following year"; when TV characters talk about sex, it affects teens just as much as television that actually shows sexual activity; and, shows that portray the risks of sex can help educate teens.

Those are the key findings in the RAND Corporation’s, Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens’ Sexual Activity?

The average American teenager watches three hours of television a day and typical teen fare, "contains heavy doses of sexual content, ranging from touching, kissing, jokes, and innuendo to conversations about sexual activity and portrayals of intercourse," says the study, going on:

"Sex is often presented as a casual activity without risk or consequences. Conventional wisdom holds that the messages young viewers absorb from television promote sexual activity in this group. Yet, despite the prevalence of this view, there has been little empirical study to date of how watching sex on television influences teenagers’ sexual behavior."

Two RAND studies examining the impact of TV sex on teenagers’ sexual beliefs and activities supported the view that watching shows with sexual content may influence teen sexual behavior, but also found some viewing effects can be positive, says the organizastion, specifying:

• Watching TV shows with sexual content apparently hastens the initiation of teen sexual activity.
• Sexual talk on TV has the same effect on teens as depictions of sex.
• Shows with content about contraception and pregnancy can help to educate teens about the risks and consequences of sex–and can also foster beneficial dialogue between teens and parents.
• Exposure to TV Sex May Hasten the Initiation of Sexual Activity Among Teens

Researchers measured levels of exposure to: (1) sexual behavior, such as kissing, intimate touching, and implied or depicted intercourse; (2) talk about sexual plans or desires or about sex that has occurred, and expert advice; and (3) talk about or behavior showing the risks of or the need for safety in regard to sexual activity: abstinence, waiting to have sex, portrayals mentioning or showing contraceptives, and portrayals related to consequences, such as AIDS, STDs, pregnancy, and abortion.

"The results showed that heavy exposure to sexual content on television related strongly to teens’ initiation of intercourse or their progression to more advanced sexual activities (such as “making out” or oral sex) apart from intercourse in the following year," states RAND. "Youths who viewed the greatest amounts of sexual content were two times more likely than those who viewed the smallest amount to initiate sexual intercourse during the following year (see figure) or to progress to more-advanced levels of other sexual activity. In effect, youths who watched the most sexual content “acted older”: a 12-year-old at the highest levels of exposure behaved like a 14- or 15-year-old at the lowest levels."

The study also identified other factors that increased the likelihood that teens would initiate intercourse, including being older, having older friends, getting lower grades, engaging in rule-breaking such as skipping class, and sensationseeking.

Taken together, the two studies suggest the need to reduce teens’ exposure to sexual content on television and to explore greater use of entertainment shows to inform teens about risk, says RAND, adding:

"Reducing the amount of sexual talk and behavior on television, or the amount of time that adolescents are exposed to them, could appreciably delay the onset of sexual activity. At the same time, increasing the percentage of portrayals of sexual risk and safety relative to other sexual content might also inhibit early sexual activity, increase knowledge of sexual risks and how to be safe, and stimulate dialogue with parents.

"Reducing teens’ exposure to portrayals of sex on television poses challenges, however. An alternative approach that has worked with violent content may also work with sexual content: having parents view programs with their children and discuss their own beliefs regarding the behavior depicted. Doing so can reinforce the benefits of accurate risk information and positive messages and may help to limit the negative effects of sexual portrayals that do not contain risk information."

Go here for the full report.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 8th, 2006 at 1:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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