The Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel

Conclusions

There is clearly a major role for teenage magazines in sexual health education. Their capacity to discuss sex frankly and openly, to raise issues relating to sexual desire and pleasure and to provide role models with whom young women can identify, is unparallelled by other agencies. Magazines are in a strong position to be able to empower women, enabling them to make effective choices and exercise control over their own lives. They can also help provide a language with which sex can be discussed and offer guidance on a 'script' for use in sexual encounters.

At the same time, the evidence suggests that the interests of young women may not be best served by perpetuating the belief that early sexual activity is the norm. The temptation to publish the results of in-house surveys is understandable, since these have an immediacy which comes from their being based on the reports of actual readers. Yet there seems to be a strong case for avoiding presenting the results as representing the behaviour of all young people, and for making available to readers more accurate estimates of behaviour at the broader level. In addition, it would be reassuring to young women to see a wider range of role models, and for magazine features to celebrate diversity rather than uniformity. All credit, however, must go to magazines for featuring articles which are designed to help young people adopt routine safer sex behaviours and exercise healthy choices in their personal lives, and every effort should be made by the appropriate agencies to assist them in continuing to do so.

References

Cragge A, Hainge M, Taylor C and Porter T, in Glanz A, McVey D and Glass R, 1993

Davies E, (1986) An examination of health education in teenage magazines Health Education Journal: 45 (2): 86-91

Davis S and Harris M, (1982) Sexual knowledge, sexual interests and source of sexual information of rural and urban adolescents from three different cultures. Adolescence; 17: 471-492

Johnson A M, Wadsworth J, Wellings K, Field J. Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles Blackwell 1994

C Hall, Magazine sex lessons preferred 23.2.96 Daily Telegraph

HEA, 1990 Today's Young Adults 16 - 19 March - May

Kent V & Davis M, Social interaction routines in heterosexual encounters of young people.

Talking about it HEA 1993

McRobbie A, (1982) Jackie: An ideology of adolescent femininity

Waites A (1982) Bennet T & Martin G (eds) Popular culture past and present. London Croom Helm and OUP

McRobbie A More! New sexualities in Girls' and Women's Magazines, in Cultural studies and communication ed J Curran, D Morley and V Walkerdine. Arnold. 1996.

Rudat and Speed 1993, in Glanz A, McVey D and Glass R, 1993

Thompson R and Scott S, Learning about sex. Young women and the social construction of sexual identity. WRAP 1992

House of Commons Official Report. Periodicals (Protection of Children) Bill, 5.6.96 London, HMSO.

It's Bliss; Qualitative research Final Report August 1995 EMAP ELAN

Mitchell K, (1996) Encouraging adolescent girls to participate in physical activity: can teenage magazines play a role? Policy Report LSHTM (unpublished)

Wellings K, Field J, Johnson A M, Wadsworth J, Sexual Behaviour in Britain. Penguin 1994

Wellings K, Wadsworth J, Johnson A M, Field J, Whitaker L, Field B. (1995) Provision of sex education and early sexual experience: the relationship examined. Br Med J vol 311, pp417-420

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



			Conclusions There is clearly a major role for teenage magazines in sexual health education. Their capacity to discuss sex frankly and openly, to raise issues relating to sexual desire and pleasure and to provide role models with whom young women can identify, is unparallelled by other agencies. Magazines are in a strong position to be able to empower women, enabling them to make effective choices and exercise control over their own lives. They can also help provide a language with which sex can be discussed and offer guidance on a 'script' for use in sexual encounters. At the same time, the evidence suggests that the interests of young women may not be best served by perpetuating the belief that early sexual activity is the norm. The temptation to publish the results of in-house surveys is understandable, since these have an immediacy which comes from their being based on the reports of actual readers. Yet there seems to be a strong case for avoiding presenting the results as representing the behaviour of all young people, and for making available to readers more accurate estimates of behaviour at the broader level. In addition, it would be reassuring to young women to see a wider range of role models, and for magazine features to celebrate diversity rather than uniformity. All credit, however, must go to magazines for featuring articles which are designed to help young people adopt routine safer sex behaviours and exercise healthy choices in their personal lives, and every effort should be made by the appropriate agencies to assist them in continuing to do so. References Cragge A, Hainge M, Taylor C and Porter T, in Glanz A, McVey D and Glass R, 1993 Davies E, (1986) An examination of health education in teenage magazines Health Education Journal: 45 (2): 86-91 Davis S and Harris M, (1982) Sexual knowledge, sexual interests and source of sexual information of rural and urban adolescents from three different cultures. Adolescence; 17: 471-492 Johnson A M, Wadsworth J, Wellings K, Field J. Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles Blackwell 1994 C Hall, Magazine sex lessons preferred 23.2.96 Daily Telegraph HEA, 1990 Today's Young Adults 16 - 19 March - May Kent V & Davis M, Social interaction routines in heterosexual encounters of young people. Talking about it HEA 1993 McRobbie A, (1982) Jackie: An ideology of adolescent femininity Waites A (1982) Bennet T & Martin G (eds) Popular culture past and present. London Croom Helm and OUP McRobbie A More! New sexualities in Girls' and Women's Magazines, in Cultural studies and communication ed J Curran, D Morley and V Walkerdine. Arnold. 1996. Rudat and Speed 1993, in Glanz A, McVey D and Glass R, 1993 Thompson R and Scott S, Learning about sex. Young women and the social construction of sexual identity. WRAP 1992 House of Commons Official Report. Periodicals (Protection of Children) Bill, 5.6.96 London, HMSO. It's Bliss; Qualitative research Final Report August 1995 EMAP ELAN Mitchell K, (1996) Encouraging adolescent girls to participate in physical activity: can teenage magazines play a role? Policy Report LSHTM (unpublished) Wellings K, Field J, Johnson A M, Wadsworth J, Sexual Behaviour in Britain. Penguin 1994 Wellings K, Wadsworth J, Johnson A M, Field J, Whitaker L, Field B. (1995) Provision of sex education and early sexual experience: the relationship examined. Br Med J vol 311, pp417-420
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	Contact: Kerry Neilson , TMAP secretariat, kerry.neilson@ppa.co.uk, 0207 400 7520

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