"Schools are supposed to be preparing us for life, they're not preparing us by just sweeping this under the carpet" : sexually explicit media, sex and relationship education and adolescents : an exploration of the views of young people

• Main Author: Morgan, Caroline
• Published: Cardiff University 2018
• Subjects: BF Psychology
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.753617

The way in which adolescents access online sexually explicit media (SEM) today is fundamentally different to the experiences of previous generations due to the advent of smartphones and internet enabled tablets (Berelowitz, Edwards, & Gulyurtlu, 2012). Accordingly such unrestricted availability of SEM has led to an increasing awareness that SEM is becoming a commonplace occurrence for many young people within the UK (Martellozzo et al., 2017; Parker, 2014). Adolescence is identified as a time of heightened vulnerability and a critical developmental period for social and emotional health and wellbeing. Literature suggests mixed, and somewhat limited, findings regarding the impact of SEM on adolescent development, and recent and balanced qualitative studies regarding UK adolescents’ experiences of SEM are few(Lester & Allan, 2003; Weber, Quiring, & Daschmann, 2012). There is an associated lack of clarity as to how adolescents may be educated or supported in their experiences of SEM, with a lack of clarity regarding the role of sex and relationship education (SRE) in making such a provision (particularly within Wales). This research aimed to provide a balanced account of the views of a sample of young people in the education system within South Wales regarding SEM and SRE. Eight adolescents aged sixteen to eighteen years old were interviewed via a semi-structured interview process and data was analysed using the process of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results suggest that adolescents are dissatisfied both with the widespread accessibility of SEM, particularly to early adolescents, and with the lack of discussion or education regarding SEM within both SRE, the education system, and wider society. Implications for educational psychologists and professionals are considered alongside future direction for further study.