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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:33 am Post subject: Study finds teen boys most likely to access pornography |
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Study finds teen boys most likely to access pornography
Parents need to be more aware of kids' viewing habits, says researcher
by Bev Betkowski
Sonya Thompson, a graduate student at the U of A,
has found that the media environment of Alberta homes
makes viewing porn easy for teens. She's concerned
this may pave the road for future problems for youth.
Boys aged 13 and 14 living in rural areas are the most likely of their age group to access pornography, and parents need to be more aware of how to monitor their children's viewing habits, according to a new study by a U of A graduate student.
A total of 429 students aged 13 and 14 from 17 urban and rural schools across Alberta were surveyed anonymously about if, how and how often they viewed sexually explicit media content on digital or satellite television, video and DVD and the Internet.
Ninety per cent of males and 70 per cent of females reported accessing sexually explicit media content at least once. More than one-third of the boys reported viewing pornographic DVDs or videos "too many times to count," compared to eight per cent of the girls surveyed.
Though being curious about sexually explicit images may seem a natural part of early adolescence, porn is a major presence in the lives of youth, said Sonya Thompson, a master's graduate student. The media environment in Alberta homes makes access to porn easy for teens and viewing pornography at a young age can set children up for problems later on, said Thompson. "We don't know how we are changing sexual behaviours, attitudes, values and beliefs by enabling this kind of exposure and not talking with kids about it in any meaningful way."
Thompson, formerly a sex education teacher, is concerned about the health and social messages pornography sends. "What kinds of expectations will these young people have going into their first sexual relationships? It may be setting up a big disconnect between boys and girls and may be normalizing risky sex practices."
Almost half of rural youths in the survey reported seeing pornographic videos or DVDs at least once, compared to one-third of the urban participants. Thompson is unsure why rural teens access porn more on video and DVD, but suggests that parents may think distance acts as a buffer. "Maybe they have a false sense of thinking they are far away from unhealthy influences."
Rural boys also reported a lower incidence of parents talking with them about sexual media content. Urban girls were most likely to have had such discussions with their parents.
And while the majority of teens surveyed said their parents expressed concern about sexual content, that concern hasn't led to discussion or supervision, and few parents are using available technology to block sexual content.
"It indicates there is plenty of room for better parenting around pornography use. Parents need to improve dialogue with their children and their own awareness level. They have to be educated enough to be the ones setting the boundaries in the house," Thompson said. "Families using media together is no longer the norm, so parents need to know what their kids have access to in their alone time."
Other study findings show that the majority of students surveyed, 74 per cent, reported viewing pornography on the Internet. Forty-one per cent saw it on video or DVD and 57 per cent reported seeing it on a specialty TV channel. Nine per cent of the teens reported they accessed pornography because someone over 18 had rented it, six per cent had rented it themselves and 20 per cent viewed it at a friend's house.
The study also revealed different patterns of use between males and females, with boys doing the majority of deliberate viewing, and a significant minority planning social time around viewing porn with male friends. Girls reported more accidental or unwanted exposure online and tend to view porn in same-gender pairs or with mixed groups.
Teachers also need to tackle the issue in sex education classes, she added. "Obviously it's a huge influence on kids and it needs to be talked about. There's a whole subculture we are not addressing."
Retailers, government and the media industry regulators also need to work with parents to ensure they are educated about limiting their children's access to sexually explicit material, have strategies to talk with their teens and that laws around the sale of porn to minors are enforced, Thompson said.
http://www.ualberta.ca/~publicas/folio/44/13/09.html |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Canadian universities...known for their cutting-edge research...   |
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Leslie Cheswyck
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: University of Western Chile
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| Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:38 am Post subject: |
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I'm shocked. Shocked! |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:51 am Post subject: |
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I'm shocked. Shocked!
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Round up the usual suspects...
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| Why, my jaw just hit the floor! |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| From the page of the science journal "Duh!" |
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