April 2001

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Professors study media, adolescent sexual behavior

Adolescents are becoming more sexually active than ever before; in fact, some researchers report that as many as one in 12 kids have sex before they turn 13. To find out what role the media play in this sex-too-early environment, the National Institute for Child Health and Development, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded a $2.6 million grant to Professor Jane Brown and Associate Professor Carol Pardun.

Brown and Pardun have begun a five-year investigation of six media — television, newspapers, music, Internet, magazines and movies — to better understand teens’ media-consumption patterns, the sexual content of those media and the relationship between the two. Dubbed the Teen Media Study, the project is one of the first to offer such a comprehensive view of adolescents and their media use.

"This is the largest research grant received by faculty members in our School," Dean Richard Cole said. "And the subject is important for everybody. Hats off to Jane and Carol."

The first part of the study involves an extensive media-use survey of 3,000 seventh- and eighth-graders. The second part is a content analysis of the TV shows, movies, songs, Web sites and other media outlets that those adolescents report using most frequently. The content analysis seeks to compile data about risky and healthy sexual incidents in the media.

The study’s third phase involves confidential home-based surveys using a computer system that allows teens to respond to questions about their sexual attitudes and beliefs without worrying about someone seeing their answers. The final part of the study repeats the measures with the same students once they are in ninth and 10th grades.

The School of Public Health is providing strong support to the grant. Kelly L’Engle, a doctoral candidate from Public Health, serves as project manager, Christine Jackson, a doctoral candidate from Public Health, is a consultant on the research design, and Holly McClain, first-year master’s student, helps with the administration of the grant.

Also, the Teen Media Study provides students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication with opportunities to participate. Doctoral students Tara Kachgal and LaHoma Romocki are involved in the database management of the grant as well as setting up the pilot work that begins this semester. Senior Becky Tench is developing the logo for the project.

"Working with top-notch researchers on a multi-million dollar project is not an opportunity that comes along every day," Romocki said. "The learning experience has been wonderful."

Once the content analysis begins, more School students will have an opportunity to participate. Brown and Pardun estimate that more than 30,000 sexual incidents will need coding.

"It’s one of those rare opportunities for researchers and would-be researchers to roll up their sleeves and wallow in the data," Pardun said.

The School provides office space and administrative support for the duration of the grant.

Carol Pardun is an associate professor specializing in advertising and public relations.