Study links TV to teen sexual activity

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are twice as likely to engage in intercourse than those who watch few such programs, according to a study published Tuesday.

The study covered 1,792 adolescents aged 12 to 17 who were quizzed on viewing habits and sexual activity and then surveyed again a year later. Both regular and cable television were included.

"This is the strongest evidence yet that the sexual content of television programs encourages adolescents to initiate sexual intercourse and other sexual activities," said Rebecca Collins, a psychologist at the RAND Corp. who headed the study.

www.cnn.com...

The report said earlier studies found that about two-thirds of TV entertainment programs contain sexual content, ranging from jokes and innuendo to intercourse and other behaviors.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.


What a sad sad waste of money !!!!

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- Teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are twice as likely to engage in intercourse than those who watch few such programs, according to a study published Tuesday

And just how do they not know it is the other way around? That sexually active teens aren't more likely to watch shows with sexual content... Pretty circular logic for a scientific study.....

Just more proof that most psychologists haven't got a frickin' clue.... What's even scarier is that such psychologists determine whether parents can even have custody of their own kids....when they've never even HAD kids of their own!!! I'd bet 10-1 that Rebecca doesn't have a child, and that all she knows of child behavior she learned in a lecture hall...

That would explain the girls in that age group who dress like the mtv video whores, and act like the ditzzy britney spears.
Children are impressionable, this has been going on for decades.

It is a waste of money, but maybe for the dummy parents out there it will give them something to think about next time their child goes out looking like a cheap trick. Some parents just don't understand sexual promescuity and the potential danger it brings.

1,792 adolescents aged 12 to 17 who were quizzed on viewing habits and sexual activity and then surveyed again a year later. Both regular and cable television were included.

The future is X rated - matthew goode.

The study is misleading because there doesn't exist a direct causality between watching tv and sexual behavior. The real factor here is that if a parent allows their child to watch sexually explicit TV (or worse isn't around to stop them) the children are far more likely to get away with other types of behavior that would affect sexual activity. If you're letting your kids watch whatever they want, then more than likely you're not too concerned about where they are going dressed up like a tart on Saturday night either.

The real factor here is that if a parent allows their child to watch sexually explicit TV (or worse isn't around to stop them)

I completely agree. TV is not the cause, lack of parental supervision and the self-absorbed adults who refuse to change their lifestyles when they have children is to blame.

TV and the entertainment industry in general is always the easy blame but it's just more misdirection and lazy thinking.

Parents leave their children alone a lot more than they used to and I'm pretty sure unsupervised access to the internet would certainly lead to sexual exploration more than a steamy episode of Charmed or OC.

Just because you work nine hours a day and want to go out at night and party doesn't mean you should by your 12 year old daughter clothes that are inapropriate for her age or allow your 10 year old son to own an extremely violent video game.

Guilt is not good parenting.

Spiderj

Think I could get a little more action if I started watching MTV and E! ?

el_topo had a great point: perhaps the parents not having a say in what is watched means that they do not participate in what the teens are wearing, and what they are doing outside of school.

Perhaps the shows sexually active teens watch have more sexual content because that's what they are interested in, also stated above.

Perhaps there is a corrolation with the teens that were surveyed - in an area where both teenage sex and racy shows were common.

Maybe the act of being surveyed by some wacky scientist made them all madly horny and want to jump each other at the mere suggestion of sex on TV.

At least they are sleeping with one another instead of shooting one another.

There comes a point where we need to take responsibility for our children, and quit blaming their behavior on TV and the types of shows they watch. I'm sure parents will be quick to point out that I don't have a teenager - no, but I was one not long ago, and I didn't run my house - my parents did.