TALKING POINTS: Sexualized Media & Kids Research

Posted on December 13, 2013, in Children, Featured, Indecency, Research, Sexual Violence, Societal, Teens

Publication Information

Title: Sexualized Media and Kids Research Results
Publication: Morality In Media
Author: Mary Anne Layden, Ph.D.
Date: 12/13/2013

Young people (<18 years old) who have been exposed to sexualized media (both pornography and sexualized TV) have an increased likelihood of:

Having intentions to engage in sexual intercourse
Having earlier initiation of sex
Having sexual activity more frequently
Having more sex partners
Having multiple lifetime sexual partners
Having had more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months
Having engaged in oral sex
Having engaged in anal sex
Having engaged in sexual intercourse
Having a strong desire to conceive
Becoming pregnant
Testing positive for chlamydia
Having negative attitudes toward using condoms
Having not used contraception during the last intercourse
Having not used contraception in the past 6 months
Having used alcohol or other substances at last sexual encounter
Having higher sexual permissiveness scores
Having less progressive gender role attitudes
Being more likely to see women as sex objects
Being more accepting of sexual harassment
Engaging in more sexual harassment perpetration
Engaging in forced sex
Being a juvenile sex offender

STUDIES SUPPORTING THESE POINTS

1. Having intentions to engage in sexual intercourse

L’Engle, K. L., Brown, J. & Kenneavy, K. (2006). The mass media are an important context for adolescents’ sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 4, 186-192.

2. Having earlier initiation of sex

Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

Brown, J., L’Engle, K., Pardun, C., Guo, G., Kenneavy, K., & Jackson, C. (2006). Sexy media matter: Exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines predicts black and white adolescents’ sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 117, 1018-1027.

3. Having sexual activity more frequently

L’Engle, K. L., Brown, J. & Kenneavy, K. (2006). The mass media are an important context for adolescents’ sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 4, 186-192.

Wingood, G., DiClemente, R., Harrington, K., Davies, S., Hook, E., & Kim, M. (2001). Exposure to X-rated movies and adolescents’ sexual and contraceptive related attitudes and behaviors. Pediatrics, 107, 5, 1116-1119.

4. Having more sex partners

5. Having multiple lifetime sexual partners

Braun-Courville, D. & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156-162.

6. Having had more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months

Braun-Courville, D. & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156-162.

7. Having engaged in oral sex

Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

8. Having engaged in anal sex

Braun-Courville, D. & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156-162.

9. Having engaged in sexual intercourse

Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

Collins, R., Elliott, M., Berry, S., Kanouse, D., Kunkel, D., Hunter, S. & Miu, A. (2004). Watching sex on television predicts adolescent initiation of sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 114, 3, e280-e289.

10. Having a strong desire to conceive

11. Becoming pregnant

Chandra, A., Martino, S., Collins, R., Elliott, M., Berry, S., Kanouse, D. & Miu, A. (2008). Does watching sex on television predict teen pregnancy? Findings from a national longitudinal survey of youth. Pediatrics, 122, 1047-1054.

12. Testing positive for chlamydia

13. Having negative attitudes toward using condoms

14. Having not used contraception during the last intercourse

15. Having not used contraception in the past 6 months

16. Having used alcohol or other substances at last sexual encounter

Braun-Courville, D. & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156-162.

17. Having higher sexual permissiveness scores

Braun-Courville, D. & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156-162.
Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

18. Having less progressive gender role attitudes

Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

19. Being more likely to see women as sex objects

Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P. (2007). Adolescents’ exposure to a sexualized media environment and their notions of women as sex objects. Sex Roles, 56, 381–395.

20. Being more accepting of sexual harassment

Strouse, J., Goodwin, M. & Roscoe, B. (1994). Correlates of attitudes toward sexual harassment among early adolescents. Sex Roles, 31, 559-577.

21. Engaging in more sexual harassment perpetration

Bonino, S., Ciairano, S. Rabaglietti, E. & Cattelino, E. (2006). Use of pornography and self-reported engagement in sexual violence among adolescents. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 3, 3, 265-288.

Brown, J. & L’Engle, K. (2009). X-Rated: Sexual attitudes and behaviors associated with U.S. early adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit media. Communication Research, 36, 129-151.

22. Engaging in forced sex

23. Being a juvenile sex offender

Ford, M. & Linney, J. A. (1995). Comparative analysis of juvenile sexual offenders, violent nonsexual offenders and status offenders. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, 1, 56-70.