Dina Kok
The Interim

According to a recent study released by the Parents Television Council, an American advocacy organization protecting youth against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment, children are exposed to astounding levels of sex and profanity, as compared to adult-targeted television.

The study, entitled MTV Smut Peddlers: Targeting Kids with Sex, Drugs and Alcohol, reports that children are exposed to nine sexual scenes per hour. L. Brent Bozell, president of the PTC, commented: “MTV is blatantly selling raunchy sex to kids. Compared to broadcast television programs aimed at adults, MTV’s programming contains substantially more sex, foul language and violence – and MTV’s shows are aimed at children as young as 12.”

Much research has been conducted highlighting the direct relationship between teenage promiscuity and the media. Last September, a similar study was released by the Rand Corporation, which found that children who watch television programming containing sexual content are almost twice as likely to experiment with sex as peers who do not watch such programs.

Linda Klepacki, abstinence education analyst with Focus on the Family, agrees with the findings of these studies. Teens “are being bombarded with sexual messages, thousands of them everyday.” Whether it be through television, videos, music or through popular magazines, teens today are targeted to engage in sexual activity. In 2003, statistics showed that 20 per cent of teens were losing their virginity prior to reaching the age of 15. The most recent reports of 2005 show that 30 per cent of teens are engaging in sexually promiscuous behaviour, including oral sex.

In an article entitled “Teen Sex: Fuelled by Media Images or Curbed through Good Information?” written by Janice Shaw Crouse, PhD in 2003, it was reported that 70 per cent of American teens get their information about sex through the media. Bozell said of the results of his organization’s MTV study, “There’s no question that TV influences the attitudes and perceptions of young viewers and MTV is deliberately marketing its raunchy fare to millions of innocent children.”

Gillian Long, executive director of Campaign Life Coalition Youth, commented to The Interim that MTV broadcasts videos that are “pornographic and assaulting.” She continued: “Imagine how a young child, who has limited knowledge of sex and sexual behaviour, would feel watching such videos. Imagine the effect that these videos would have on young boys’ perceptions of females, and the effect of these videos on young girls’ self image.”

Long added, “Children are no longer seeing sex as something that happens within a romantic relationship. There is this prevailing idea that it can and should happen between friends. This mentality can only come from being exposed to these depictions of sexual activity.”

Many parents are unaware that their children are receiving such blatant messages via the media concerning sex. As reported by Focus on the Family’s Stuart Shepard, many moms and dads are not talking to their children about sex, and teens are finding out about it on their own.

Long believes that a huge weight is left on parents to help curb the effects of promiscuous depictions on TV. “Parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives. They need to know what is going on and it has to start young.”

Linda Klepacki with Focus on the Family agrees. She said that kids need to learn the basics of healthy relationships when they can first communicate. “We need to address family values of sexuality and what behaviours are positive for youth and what behaviours are not.”

As of late, there has been a steadily increasing push to promote abstinence and purity among teenagers. This Valentine’s Day marked the second annual Day of Purity. This is an event where millions of youth around the world make a public announcement of sexual purity. The Day of Purity is designed to encourage youth to remain sexually pure and counter the message that early sexual activity is healthy and normal. The emphasis is placed on saving sex until marriage.

While this is one step, in the meantime, as sexually graphic displays do not cease to be broadcast, parents must take action to lessen the effects media have on their children’s perceptions of sex. One way, as CLCY’s Gillian Long commented, is to “turn off the TV. As mean as this may be, it may be best. Turn it off.”