New Study Confirms TV Influences Teens’ Sexual Behavior

A recent study confirms what the National Coalition has been saying for years—television with sexual content influences teens’ behaviors and attitude toward sex.

Rand Corporation, who released a similar study in 2004, indicates that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch television with sexual dialogue and behavior than those that watch shows with less risky behavior.

"Adolescents receive a considerable amount of information about sex through television and that programming typically does not highlight the risks and responsibilities of sex," said Anita Chandra, the study's lead author and a behavioral scientist at Rand. "Our findings suggest that television may play a significant role in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States."

Conclusions from the study, which surveyed over 2,000 teens ages 12-17, include:
  • Pregnancies were twice as common among those who watched sexualized programs regularly.
  • More pregnancies were reported among older teens but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups.
  • Limiting adolescent exposure to the sexual content on television and balancing portrayals of sex in the media with information about possible negative consequences might reduce the risk of teen pregnancy.
  • Parents may be able to mitigate the influence of this sexual content by viewing with their children and discussing these depictions of sex.
“Clearly, early sexual activity on the part of teenagers leads to such negative consequences as sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies—not to mention unseen emotional damage,” said Rick Schatz, president and CEO of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. “The good news is that by helping their kids think critically about what they see on TV, parents can actually play an important role in helping prevent their kids from making bad choices.”

Schatz also noted this study should be a loud wake-up call for the broadcast and cable industries to offer programming that won’t send kids the message that sex with anybody at any time is free of consequences.

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