Age

Sex everywhere, love nowhere?
A symposium on the
hypersexualization phenomenon
among youth in the province of Quebec
Halifax, September 24-26
Symposium Plan
• “Young people fucking”? About moral chaos and exposure to sexuality in the media
• Yesterday’s youth, today’s youth: Are they that different?
• Voices of Quebec’s youth on the social discourses regarding their love and sexual relationships
Contemporary Discourses on Youth
Sexuality (1)
The media in the province of Quebec has been presenting the sexuality of young people as being more precocious, active and diversified than ever:
¾« Sexualité : de plus en plus tôt, de plus en plus souvent » (Radio‐
Canada, 5 octobre 2005)
¾« Sexualité précoce : doit‐on imposer un code vestimentaire à l’école ? » (Radio‐Canada, 2 août 2005)
¾« L’hypersexualisation des filles : Ceci n’est pas qu’une pipe ! » (Le Devoir, 8 mars 2006). Contemporary Discourses on Youth
Sexuality (2)
• Youth sexuality is described as hypersexualized
• Hypersexualization describes…
▫ Youth themselves and their behaviour (Duquet, 2007; Richard‐
Bessette, 2009; Thériault, 2006)
hypersexualized youth; hypersexualized seduction; sexualized social activities; excessive use of sexualized behaviour in social interactions; etc.
▫ Their environment (Conseil du statut de la femme, 2005; Poulin et Laprade, 2009)
sexual objectification of women in ads, banalization of nudity and pornography on television and on the Internet; etc.
Four Key Hypothesis
• About youth themselves and their behaviour
▫ age of first sexual intercourse among today’s youth is decreasing (sexual timeline);
▫ sexual activities among young people are exacerbated
(increasing number of sexual partners, diversification of sexual practices)
• About their environment
▫ sexual morality and values are declining (traditional values erosion; authority decline; moral chaos);
▫ the degree of sexual explicitness of images in media is increasing
Objectives
• To describe the normative influences in which today’s youth are growing up
• To review relevant empirical data on the evolution of the sexual behaviour of young people
• To expose the point of view of young people regarding the social discourses on their love and sexual relationships
“Young people fucking”?
About moral chaos and exposure to
sexuality in the media
Martin BLAIS, Sarah RAYMOND, Hélène MANSEAU et Joanne
OTIS
Two Key Hypothesis on Normative Influences on Youth Sexuality
¾sexual morality and values are declining
(traditional values erosion; authority decline; moral chaos)
¾the degree of sexual explicitness of images in media is increasing
Decline in sexual morality and values
• Canadian data from the World Values Survey
• Three waves: 1981, 1990 and 2000
• Indicators :
¾ The importance of family
¾ The importance of respecting parents and authority
¾ The permissiveness toward specific sexual and love choices and behaviour (homosexuality, prostitution, infidelity, abortion, etc.)
• A stable or increasing importance of the family, but a decline of the importance of respect toward the authority
Family importance
Respect and love for
parents
Importance of family
life
Respect for authority
1981
%
1990
%
2000
%
n/d
92
94
70
69
78
91
94
94
77
64
66
Trend
1981-2000
• Toward a greater sexual permissiveness…
1981
m (sd)
1990
m (sd)
2000
m (sd)
Homosexuality
3,13 (2,67) 4,07 (3,02) 5,48 (3,37)
Prostitution
2,97 (2,51) 3,41 (2,66)
Abortion
3,77 (2,72) 4,95 (2,85) 4,49 (3,00)
4,91
5,59 (2,60) 6,04 (2,69)
(2,59)
2,54
2,62 (2,21)
n/d
(2,24)
Divorce
Adultery
Sexual activity before
legal age
2,59
(2,29)
3,06 (2,64)
3,32 (2,72)
n/d
Scale from 1 (never justifiable) to 10 (always justifiable)
Trend
1981-2000
• In younger cohorts, the importance of family and authority still exists to the extent that they are not contradicting acceptance, tolerance and respect for individualized choices and for diversity (including sexual diversity)
• As Reginald Bibby (2004) reminds us:
– “But ‘becoming more liberal’ should not be confused with the disappearance or even the erosion of sexual values and expectations.”
The degree of sexual explicitness in magazines: increasing trends (Reichert, 2003; Reichert & Carpenter, 2004; Soley et Reid, 1988)
1964
1983
1984
1993
2003
%
%
%
%
%
Female Models
6,8
14
15,6
6
9
Male Models
2,3
8
8,9
1
9
Sexual Contacts
n/d
17
n/d
18
40
Female Models
13,8
30
29,2
42
49
Male Models
3,4
9
15,4
28
24
Sexual Contacts
n/d
22
n/d
62
46
Female Models
41,3
30
34
53
78
Male Models
6,5
13
12,4
22
24
Sexual Contacts
n/d
21
n/d
64
50
Trend
General Magazines
Female Magazines
Male Magazines
The degree of sexual explicitness on general TV: increasing trends (Kunkel et al., 2003 & 2005)
All Ages Television Shows
Trend
1997-1998
1999-2000
2001-2002
2005
Any sexual content
56 %
68 %
64 %
70 %
• Mean scenes number
by hour
3,2
4,1
4,4
5,0
54 %
65 %
61 %
68 %
3,0
3,8
3,8
4,6
23 %
27 %
32 %
35 %
1,4
1,8
2,1
2,0
Discussing sex
• Mean scenes number
by hour
Depicting sexual
behaviors
• Mean scenes number
by hour
The degree of sexual explicitness in youth TV shows:
stable and decreasing trends (Kunkel et et., 2005)
Adolescents Television
Shows
Trend
2002
2005
83 %
70 %
6,7
6,7
80 %
68 %
• Mean scenes number by hour
6,0
6,4
Depicting sexual behaviors
49 %
45 %
• Mean scenes number by hour
3,1
2,1
Any sexual content
• Mean scenes number by hour
Discussing sex
Key Points
• There is no decline in moral values!
– Moral values still exist, even though there are changes in the weighing of these values in time (Boudon, 2002)
– Parents have not abandoned their children’s morality, they have only transmitted different values than the religious and conservative ones they received from their own parents
– Respect for authority appears less important today, but…
– Respect for diversity and individual choices are perceived as more important
• There is a clear sexualization of the public space, but nothing new in this respect: the present level of sexual explicitness has existed since the nineties
• Has the sexualization of the public space impacted youth sexual behaviour and to what extent?
Yesterday’s Youth and Today’s Youth:
Are they that different?
Joanne OTIS, Martin BLAIS, Renée
LAROCQUE
Two Key Hypothesis about Today’s Youth sexual Behaviour
▫ Age of first sexual intercourse among today’s youth is decreasing;
▫ sexual activities among youth are exacerbated
(increasing number of sexual partners, diversification of sexual practices)
Objectives
• To review relevant empirical data on sexual behaviours of young people
– Age of first sexual experience
– Contexts in which the first sexual experience occurs
– Number of sexual partners
– Oral and Anal Sex
– Sexualized Social Activities (SSA)
• To compare present and previous data
METHOD
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Between November 1991 and May 1996, 2807 adolescents from three Quebec regions on the north and south shore of Montreal (#14, #15, #16 on the card) were followed over a five year period.
Self –administered questionnaires were distributed on four occasions at 18 months intervals (T1, T2, T3 and T4). Beliefs, attitudes, norms, values and behaviours related to sexuality were part of the questionnaires.
57 schools out of 63 agreed to participate in the study.
In each school, a sample stratified by school level (sec1, 2, 3 and 4 in 1991) and by clusters (classes) was performed
Data on the transition of youth to an active sexual life was never published
Discrete‐time survival analysis was used
RESULTS
Previous data (1991‐1996)
Proportion of youth w ho had sexual intercourse (vaginal
or anal) by age group
100
90
80
70
60
50
%
40
30
20
10
0
Female
Male
Total
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Age
Proportion of youth w ho had oral sex by age group
100
90
80
70
60
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
Female
Male
Total
11
12
13
14
15
16
Age
17
18
19
20
21
RESULTS
Transition of youth to an active sexual life
Previous data (1991‐1996)
• At T1 (A‐1991), 28% were already sexually active while 72% were not yet sexually active (mean age: 14.1 years at T1 among non sexually active)
• Between T1 et T2 (A‐1991 to S‐1993)
33% became sexually active
(mean age: 15.6 years at T2)
• Between T2 et T3 (S‐1993 to A‐1994)
36% became sexually active
(mean age: 16.8 years at T3)
• Between T3 et T4 (A‐1994 to S‐1996)
42% became sexually active
(mean age: 18.2 years at T4)
RESULTS
Previous data (1991‐1996)
Table 1: Predictors of youth’s transition to an active sexual life
T1‐T2
T2‐T3
T3‐T4
A1991‐S1993
S1993‐A1994
A1994‐P1996
14.1‐15.6 years old 15.6‐16.8 years old 16.8‐18.2 years old
Variables
Age
Gender
Intention to delay sexual intercourse
OR; Odds ratio
** p<0.0001
* p<0.001
OR
OR
OR
1.59**
1.27*
1.15
1.28
1.86*
1.33
0.80**
0.80*
0.81*
RESULTS
Previous data (1991‐1996)
Table 2: Factors associated with the intention to delay sexual intercourse
T1‐T2
T2‐T3
T3‐T4
OR
OR
OR
2.10*
2.09*
2.25*
Take the time to discover themselves, to be ready, to get use to each other
1.91*
2.03*
2.71*
Protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies, HIV and STI
1.06
1.05
0.99
Moral norm towards delaying sexual intercourse
1.71*
1.87*
2.11*
Variables
Self‐efficacy towards delaying sexual intercourse
Behavioural beliefs towards delaying sexual intercourse
OR: Odds ratio
* p<0.0001
RESULTS
Previous data (1991‐1996)
Table 2: Factors associated with the intention to delay sexual intercourse
Variables
Role beliefs towards delaying sexual intercourse
Normative beliefs towards delaying sexual intercourse
Parents
Same‐sex friends
Partner
Behavioural norms
OR; Odds ratio
*** p<0.0001; ** p<0.001; * p<0.01
T1‐T2
T2‐T3
T3‐T4
OR
OR
OR
2.08***
2.06***
1.98***
1.17**
1.24***
1.04
1.38***
1.22**
1.24*
1.33***
1.03
1.25*
0.99
1.04
0.77***
Age of first sexual intercourse among today’s youth
Mean age estimations vary a lot
• Quebec: from 14,7 to 18 yo
• Canada: from 14,1 to 18,4 yo
Mean age is flawed, as it depends on
1) the mean age in the sample
▫
If the sample mean age is 14, age at first sex among sexually active youth in this sample cannot be >14…
2) the rate of sexually active youth
▫
The younger the sample, the lower the rate of sexually active youth, so the mean is often calculated on less than 30% of the sample
Mean age should not be used to describe age of first sexual contact
Median age should be preferred
(50% of the population reporting at least one sexual contact)
Canada
•Some found 17 yo as median age, in 1980 as well as in 2000 (Netting et Burnett, 2004)
•Others suggest an even older median age in the nineties cohorts (>18; Maticka‐Tyndale et al., 2000)
Available data do not support a decreasing age at first sexual intercourse since the eigthies…
Some data even suggest the opposite trend!
College students in the province of Quebec, aged 16 to 21 years old (Lambert et al., 2007)
Male
1994
2006
Rate of sexually active
college students (oral
vaginal or anal)
73.4%
78.9%
Mean Age of First Vaginal
Intercourse
15.7 yo
16.1 yo
Female
1994
2006
Rate of sexually active
college students (oral
vaginal or anal)
82.9%
73.3%
Mean Age of First Vaginal
Intercourse
15.6 yo
15.8 yo
Contexts in which first sexual experience occurred
• Canadian University Students (Tsui & Nicoladis, 2004)
dand 85%e
– Couple context for 83%
– Love is the first reason (32‐39% dand 49‐
60 % e), followed by
• curiosity (21‐23%d; 12‐14%e)
• drug or alcohol intake (9‐10%d ; 6‐9%e)
Sexual activities among young people are exacerbated
• Age of first sexual experience says nothing about the types and the frequency of sexual activities…
• Having had a first sexual intercourse doesn’t mean being sexually active or hyperactive…
Number of sexual partners
College Students (mean age 18,6 – who reported oral, vaginal or anal intercourse; Lambert et al., 2007)
1994
2006
Male
3.8
4.0*
Female
4.0
4.3*
*non statistically significant differences, thus attributable to sampling fluctuations
Oral and Anal Sex (Lambert et al., 2007)
• College students in the province of Quebec report having had oral sex with 3.5 partners
and anal sex with 1.7 partners (where the average number of sexual partners is 3.9 for vaginal intercourse)
• Contrary to the hypothesis of oral and anal sex banalization, oral and anal sex are adopted with a lower number of sexual partners and with those who are closer to them (love partner or fuck buddy).
Sexualized Social Activities (SSA)
• Examples of SSA are : wet t‐shirt contests, dirty dancing, sandwich dancing, fellatio imitation contests, sex webcam, etc.
• Most common form: sandwich dancing (42%)
• No SSA: 45%
• Only one SSA: 28%
• Two SSA: 13%
• 3 SSA or more: 14%
• Rare forms (3 to 6 %): masturbation, fellatio or wet t‐shirt contests, having sex with more than one partner, sex webcam
Sexualized Social Activities (SSA)
• SSA are more common among a subgroup of youth who…
▫ report casual sex partners
▫ were sexually abused as child
▫ know people working in the sex industry
• The consequences of early sexual initiation on early sexualized behaviour are known…
• One should distinguish between petting, frequent
and part of the normal sexual scripts of adolescents, and early sexualized behaviour, which are rarer and the consequences of early sexual exposure
Key Points
▫ Age of first sexual intercourse among today’s youth is NOT decreasing;
▫ sexual activities among youth are NOT exacerbated
Voices of Quebec’s youth on the Social
Discourses regarding their Love and
Sexual Relationships
Mylène FERNET, Joanne OTIS, Marie-Eve GIRARD,
Marie-Eve RICHARD, Jocelyne THÉRIAULT
Objective
• To expose the actual point of view of youth on the social discourses regarding
their love and sexual relationships
• Between March and June 2006, 11 discussion groups (average length: 90 minutes) were done in French in different settings (primary schools, secondary schools, youth centres, adult schools). • Themes: – Means to get information on sexuality, – Representations of love and sexuality in the media and in their own personal life – Representations of sexuality and of risks. • Discussion groups were taped on an audio band and transcribed in the form of verbatim. Analysis
• Data was analysed using the thematic content analysis method proposed by Van der Maren (2004).
9
9
9
9
Coding
Examination of coded data Treatment of coded data
Analysis was done with the help of Atlas.ti version 5 (PC) software.
Method
Participants’ Profile (n = 88)
9
47 girls
9
41 boys
9
Living in the Montreal
metropolitain area
9
94 % has had at least one love partner
Results
Media emphasize the negative aspects of and problems related to sexuality in adolescence
« La seule chose que j’ai vu (dans les médias), la chose qui se passe le
plus souvent c’est des problèmes » (Nathaniel - Projet Harmonie).
« Ils (les médias) cherchent toujours le mauvais côté des choses et non
le bon côté des choses » (Béatrice – Secondaire deuxième cycle).
« Mettons ils vont dire, 7 % des adolescents ont une maladie transmissible
sexuellement, ils pourront pas parler du 93 % qui reste qui ont pas de
maladies ? » (Sandrine – Secondaire deuxième cycle).
An exaggerated portrayal of sexuality that falls
under sensationalism
« Pis je trouve que des fois aussi ils (les médias) exagèrent » (Maude Secondaire régulier premier cycle).
« C’est pas général ! C’est pas tout le monde tu comprends tu ? Ils
généralisent trop. Ils parlent pas du monde qui sont corrects ! Ils voient
juste le mal » (Miriam - Secondaire deuxième cycle).
« Juste le titre, ils (journalistes) veulent juste faire vendre le journal »
(Hugo - Horizon Jeunesse, Secondaire CPFP deuxième cycle, 15 à 18
ans).
Media messages could have unexpected effects
like prejudices toward adolescent sexuality and pressure on young people to have sex
« Tsé, ils disent que les jeunes d’aujourd’hui, filles ou gars, pensent juste
au cul pis pas à rien d’autre, mais ils ont pas rapport, il y en a qui sont
comme ça, mais pas tout le monde » (Justine - Secondaire premier cycle).
« Ils (les médias) nous prennent pour des imbéciles genre. Ouais, ils jugent
trop les jeunes genre» (Vivianne, Secondaire deuxième cycle).
« Les jeunes qui écoutent la télévision là, qu’est-ce qui perçoit c’est
justement ça, c’est pas bon pour eux autres là, je sais pas là, mais tsé
quand tu vois des petites filles qui font des fellations pis tout ça là, déjà à
11-10 pis 9 ans là, la petite fille se dit dans sa tête, c’est quoi faut tu je le
fasse moi aussi là ? Je trouve pas ça bon qui en parlent trop je pense »
(Éliane, école aux adultes).
Adolescence: A « normal » phase for the discovery
and experimentation of sexual and love relationships
« Oui mais en même temps c’est normal qu’il y ait beaucoup de
personnes qui pensent au sexe à notre âge, parce qu’on est en plein
dans la puberté, c’est là qu’on est comme en train d’expérimenter, on
est en train de voir des nouvelles choses, c’est sûr qu’on pense au sexe,
peut-être que c’est pas 24h sur 24. Mais c’est clair, c’est comme ça »
(Sylvia - Secondaire alternatif premier cycle).
« Mais à notre âge c’est du magasinage qu’on fait, on apprend à
découvrir ce qu’on aime chez une personne, qu’est-ce qu’on aime pas »
(David - Secondaire deuxième cycle).
What about love?
« L’amour pis la confiance, moi je trouve que le plus important dans le
couple c’est ça, c’est surtout l’amour, pis avoir confiance en l’autre
personne » (Clothilde, Primaire deuxième cycle).
Respect, trust, fidelity and complicity: love relationships based on values
« Vraiment là, je pense que le plus gros, que ce soit même, sexuellement,
que ce soit je regarde les couples aujourd’hui qui se sacrent après, qui se
crient après, qui se respectent pas : ah ta fermes tu ta gueule, tu
m’énerves, regarde, le respect. Ça part de là »( Mélanie - Centre de
formation générale aux adultes multiservice).
Sexuality based on the same values no matter
what the relationship: couple, fuck buddy or one night stand « Je trouve que c’est un bel échange avec mon chum pis moi je trouve
ça important de faire l’amour souvent, je trouve que c’est une priorité,
ben une priorité avec plein d’autres choses, ça prend un équilibre là,
mais moi je trouve ça important, mais je trouve ça important aussi bien
le faire dans le respect dans l’amour pis toutes ces choses là » (Rachel,
école aux adultes).
« Ben si t’as un fuck friend moi je vois rien de mal là-dedans. C’est ça je
veux dire, oui t’es en train de faire tes expériences sexuelles avec lui ou
avec elle ou n’importe quoi pis qui est en train d’apprendre la sexualité »
(Sylvia, secondaire alternatif).
Sexual pratices that evolve to the rhythm of the psychosexual development: From slow dance, French kiss
…
« Les gars de cette année c’est genre eux, c’est genre une blonde c’est
on se donne la main, on se parle comme en amis pis on se voit presque
jamais, […] tsé genre nous on aimerait genre passer à une autre étape,
tsé en troisième année je faisais ça là. Ben c’est genre embrasser, des
affaires de même. Sinon c’est plate » (Léa - Primaire régulier deuxième
cycle).
« Il y en a qui sont même pas capable de donner un bec, il y en a qui se
donnent des becs, il y en a qui se disent bye à la fin de la journée, il y
en a comme Emmy qui disent qui sont prêt à frencher pis toute, comme
à notre bal, il y en a qui étaient capable de danser des slows, même si le
monde dansait mal, mais il y en a qui disaient non, ça me tente pas, pas
d’essayer de faire un bébé à notre âge non ! Ça va pas jusque là »
(Juliette – Primaire régulier deuxième cycle).
… to oral and vaginal sex
Foreplay comes first : « Mettons, j’apprends à connaître le gars, ça va bien, ben si je suis pas
prête à faire l’amour tout de suite pis je suis prête à y faire une fellation
ben, je vais y en faire une, des affaires de même là » (Estelle - Secondaire
régulier premier cycle, 13-14 ans).
« Ah pis la sexualité, c’est pas juste la pénétration certain parce que les
préliminaires sont très importants, […] Fait que je pense que c’est la même
affaire, t’as des préliminaires, t’as ton repas principal, pis après ça aussi il
faut que tu ais une petite complicité » (Steve - Centre de formation générale
aux adultes multiservice).
Ambivalence about anal sex in the mind of young
people … between pleasure and disgust
«Tsé, un couple à long terme, c’est aussi, de vouloir faire plaisir à l’autre,
sans que ça soit non plus malsain pour nous autres, ok tu peux le faire
pour essayer, pour faire plaisir à l’autre dans un couple, quand t’as intérêt
à faire plaisir à l’autre, pas dans une relation sexuelle sur le bord d’une rue
là, c’est quoi ton intérêt de faire plaisir à l’autre ? Fais que oui dans le cas
des jeunes je pense que c’est plus une mode, je suis pas sûre qu’ils se
disent ah moi je l’aime mon chum, tsé pis moi je le considère mon chum,
tsé j’ai envie d’y faire plaisir » (Mélanie - Centre de formation générale
aux adultes multiservice, CLE, 19 à 28 ans).
« Ça doit faire mal. Moi là c’est oneway, il y a juste une sortie » (Miriam Horizon Jeunesse, Secondaire CPFP deuxième cycle, 15 à 18 ans).
Gang bang, orgies and masturbation contest:
"I’ve never seen that in my whole life!"
« Mais des fellations dans l’autobus, dans l’autobus ! Des concours de
masturb… je m’excuse, mais j’ai jamais vu ça de ma vie ! » (Miriam Horizon Jeunesse, Secondaire deuxième cycle).
« Ben à McGill sont forts là-dessus à McGill (gang bang) » (Steve - Centre
de formation générale aux adultes multiservice).
« Ça (orgie dans les partys, gang bang, masturbation en public, fellation à
répétition, etc.), ça se passe pas ici, ça se passe à St-Jérôme, c’est en
banlieue ! » (Clément - Habitation à loyer modique).
« Ceux que j’ai vu que moi je connais, c’est les gangs de rue là, à Montréal,
ça eux autres je sais qu’ils font ça (gang bang) » Alex - Centre de formation
générale aux adultes multiservice).
Discussion
• Yong people underline the importance of values like
love, respect, trust, fidelity and complicity in their love relationships. • These values also guide the discovery and experimentation of sexuality which is, after all, a developmental task typical of the adolescence. • Young people have three main relationship models
but they still favour couple relationships over other
models (fuck buddies and one night stands).
• Young people question the accuracy of media messages concerning their sexual life and also the potential unexpected negative effects of such
messages (adults’ judgemental attitudes and pressure on young people). • Reported sexual practices are conservative and match psychosexual development (kiss and caresses among
younger people, and oral and vaginal sex among older
youths).
Key Points
• Contrary to many academic and popular discourses, published data
on sexual behaviour of Quebec and Canadian youth do not support affirmations about a significant decreasing age of first intercourse (neither for oral, vaginal or anal sex), an exacerbation of sexual activity and a decline of sexual morality and values.
• Available data suggest that young people’s sexual behaviour timeline has shown very little change in the last decade.
• Data partly support the hypothesis of an increasingly exposure to more explicit sexual content in the traditional media (television, magazines), except for the Internet, where more explicit content is reported as well as more sexually explicit content. • Given the relative stability of sexual scripts of Quebec youth in the last decade, the discourses on youth hypersexualization in the province of Quebec appear to be largely based on false assumptions, anecdotic case reports and overly broadcasted situations.
• The increased access to more sexually explicit content in the media doesn’t seem to have impacted the sexual scripts of the majority of young people
• Further data will be needed in the future to closely monitor the sexuality of the younger adolescents.
Questions
•
Is the hypersexualization discourse creating new norms against which young people think of themselves as sexually retarded?
•
Will that discourse invite young people to initiate sexual activities before they would normally have?
•
Who is responsible for creating this hypersexualization norm: young people, the media, social workers, the scientific community?
•
Are we helping young people to acquire the critical thinking skills they need?
•
Are youth workers, nurses and teachers aware or informed about the importance of having a positive approach when it comes to sexuality in adolescence
•
What role should the scientific community play in response to the erroneous information about young people sexuality presented in the media?