The Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel

The editorial balance of magazines: how dominant is the subject of sex?

The charge is sometimes made that young women's magazines are dominated by sex; that the subject takes up an ever increasing proportion of their content (McRobbie, 1996). Yet a review of articles in Bliss in the last few months of 1996 showed just eight per cent of articles to be about sex, only half that devoted to fashion. In J17 during this period, the space allocated to articles on sex was only marginally higher, at ten per cent, and again the subject received less coverage than fashion.

The furore caused by the Bill may well have reflected wider apprehensions surrounding teenage sexuality. Teenage magazines provide adults with a window on the world of teenagers, and behaviour which might once have been covert is now visible. The attack on magazines may be a case of shooting the messenger.

The preoccupation with sex in teenage magazines is, in part at least, a response to changing sexual mores among young people. Sex does assume a greater significance in the lives of young people today than was formerly the case. Sexual activity begins considerably earlier than it did in the previous generation. Research reveals major changes in sexual attitudes and lifestyles of young people during the last 30 to 40 years (Wellings, 1994; Johnson, 1994), notably:

a progressive reduction in the age at which sexual intercourse first takes place: age at first intercourse has fallen by four years for women, from 21 to 17, and by three years for men, from 20 to 17.

a decrease in the time period between first experience and first intercourse: for young women today the time lapse between first sexual experience and sexual intercourse is two years compared with four in the previous generation.

an increase in the number of young people who have sexual intercourse before the age of 16 (the legal age of sexual consent in England, the age is 17 in Scotland): nearly one in five women and more than one in four men under the age of 20 have had intercourse before this age.

premarital sex as the norm for both men and women: fewer than one per cent of young women are married at the time of first sexual intercourse.

gender convergence in sexual experience: the gap between men and women has been closing, so that the average age at first intercourse is now the same for men and women.

These are dramatic social changes and have major implications in terms of sex education and the provision of preventative services for the young. Recent years have also seen a sea change in what is permitted public expression. An important question therefore is whether magazines are simply reflecting a trend towards greater sexual activity among the young, or leading it.

The pre-occupation with sex and the increasing focus on frank and explicit sexual representations is partly the result of greater sexual activity among the young. A further influence on the increased openness about sexual matters has certainly been the necessity for open discussion in the face of AIDS. The language of safer sex has provided a licence, and - many would argue - a need, for magazines to carry material which ten or fifteen years ago would have been unthinkable.

TMAP Research - Role of Teen Magazines in the Sexual Health of Young People

The Luff Bill

Age rating

Editorial balance

Encouraging early activity

'Herding' instinct

Is early sexual activity bad?

Arguements for delaying intercourse

Contraception

Educational role of magazines

Preferred sources of information



			The editorial balance of magazines: how dominant is the subject of sex? The charge is sometimes made that young women's magazines are dominated by sex; that the subject takes up an ever increasing proportion of their content (McRobbie, 1996). Yet a review of articles in Bliss in the last few months of 1996 showed just eight per cent of articles to be about sex, only half that devoted to fashion. In J17 during this period, the space allocated to articles on sex was only marginally higher, at ten per cent, and again the subject received less coverage than fashion. The furore caused by the Bill may well have reflected wider apprehensions surrounding teenage sexuality. Teenage magazines provide adults with a window on the world of teenagers, and behaviour which might once have been covert is now visible. The attack on magazines may be a case of shooting the messenger. The preoccupation with sex in teenage magazines is, in part at least, a response to changing sexual mores among young people. Sex does assume a greater significance in the lives of young people today than was formerly the case. Sexual activity begins considerably earlier than it did in the previous generation. Research reveals major changes in sexual attitudes and lifestyles of young people during the last 30 to 40 years (Wellings, 1994; Johnson, 1994), notably: a progressive reduction in the age at which sexual intercourse first takes place: age at first intercourse has fallen by four years for women, from 21 to 17, and by three years for men, from 20 to 17. a decrease in the time period between first experience and first intercourse: for young women today the time lapse between first sexual experience and sexual intercourse is two years compared with four in the previous generation. an increase in the number of young people who have sexual intercourse before the age of 16 (the legal age of sexual consent in England, the age is 17 in Scotland): nearly one in five women and more than one in four men under the age of 20 have had intercourse before this age. premarital sex as the norm for both men and women: fewer than one per cent of young women are married at the time of first sexual intercourse. gender convergence in sexual experience: the gap between men and women has been closing, so that the average age at first intercourse is now the same for men and women. These are dramatic social changes and have major implications in terms of sex education and the provision of preventative services for the young. Recent years have also seen a sea change in what is permitted public expression. An important question therefore is whether magazines are simply reflecting a trend towards greater sexual activity among the young, or leading it. The pre-occupation with sex and the increasing focus on frank and explicit sexual representations is partly the result of greater sexual activity among the young. A further influence on the increased openness about sexual matters has certainly been the necessity for open discussion in the face of AIDS. The language of safer sex has provided a licence, and - many would argue - a need, for magazines to carry material which ten or fifteen years ago would have been unthinkable.
	Home News Position statement How to complain Adjudications Annual reports Events Guidelines Research TMAP Research - Role of Teen Magazines in the Sexual Health of Young People The Luff Bill Age rating Editorial balance Encouraging early activity 'Herding' instinct Is early sexual activity bad? Arguements for delaying intercourse Contraception Educational role of magazines Preferred sources of information Empowerment of women The 'dream' ticket Safer sex Conclusions The panel Useful links
	Contact: Kerry Neilson , TMAP secretariat, kerry.neilson@ppa.co.uk, 0207 400 7520

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