ABSTRACT
There is ample evidence that sexual imagery in the traditional mass media that are popular with children and teenagers, particularly films and television, is widespread. In addition, there are plentiful opportunities for young people to witness this content. There is also evidence that these media present a non-normative representation of sexuality. Sexual attributes and scripts in television programmes and films made for showing in cinemas have often been found to present exaggerated impressions about sex, being sexy, and the significance of sex in everyday life. Sexual attractiveness is often packaged in a highly stereotyped way, particularly in relation to depictions of the physical human body. Sexual relations are also frequently dramatized in ways that present to young people a narrow repertoire of sexual scripts that could potentially lead to unrealistic expectations in their own lives.
