Quebec teenagers are not necessarily more sexually active than before, but a majority of them occasionally watch pornography on the screen, a widespread practice among 85% of boys.
• Read also: After Watching Porn In Parliament, British MP Resigns
• Read also: No, prostitution is not a normal job
This is one of the conclusions drawn from a study on the sexual practices of young Quebecers carried out among 1,584 adolescents aged 14 to 18 in nine secondary schools in the region of Quebec, the results of which are presented this week as part of the ACFAS symposium (a French-speaking group for knowledge).
We learn that about a third of adolescents have had full or oral sex, a proportion that has not really changed since the 1980s, indicates Judith Kotiuga, doctoral student in clinical psychology at Laval University, who carried out this research.
However, the adolescents were asked about several other sexual practices, which go well beyond oral sex and penetration (see below).
“What we mainly see as a difference is access to new technologies. Before, the consumption of pornographic material was done through magazines and there was a certain taboo surrounding it. Now it’s very, very accessible,” says Ms. Kotiuga.
Sexting and porn
In particular, the study reveals that 30% of adolescents have already sent sexts (including photos or videos) and that 68% of young people voluntarily watch pornography on occasion, including 55% from the age of 14 years old.
The proportion of boys who use it is much higher, at 85%.
The impact of this practice must however be qualified in the light of the preliminary results obtained, specifies Judith Kotiuga.
When viewing pornography is part of a progression of contact involving a partner, young people are better able to distinguish between what’s depicted on screen and what they’re looking for in real life, she says. .
Among a minority of young people whose sexual experiences are based solely on pornography, however, this attitude is different. In addition, the proportion of young people who view more violent pornographic material is very low, underlines the researcher.
Education, the key
Education remains the key to helping young people develop critical thinking, she adds.
“Put the blame almost exclusively on pornography or social media, it’s not very productive, even if that’s what we tend to do in general,” she says.
In recent years, efforts have been made to develop sexuality education content related to the reality of young people, but much remains to be done, in particular to better support young people in the use of digital technologies in link with the development of their sexuality, adds Judith Kotiuga.
Moreover, contrary to certain received ideas, certain sexual practices “that make people talk”, such as those involving more than one partner at a time, are practiced by a very small proportion of young people (around 2%), which does not show progress in this area, says the student.
SEXUAL PRACTICES IN ADOLESCENCE
Fantasize sexually: 87%
Look at yourself naked in a mirror: 86%
Examine his body: 86%
Masturbate (solo): 81%
Holding hands with a partner: 72%
Paste a partner: 71%
Kissing a partner on the lips: 70%
Willfully viewing pornographic material: 68%
Masturbating to pornographic material: 57%
Kissing a partner on the lips (with the tongue): 54%
Rubbing against a clothed partner: 54%
Caress or be caressed (buttocks): 53%
Caressing or being caressed (excluding the genitals): 49%
Caress or be caressed (chest): 49%
Sexter (text message): 41%
Being naked with a partner: 38%
Kissing or licking a partner’s breasts/chest: 38%
Masturbate a partner: 38%
Orogenital contacts: 33%
Vaginal intercourse: 33%
Sending sexts (photo/video): 30 %
Live video call of a sexual nature: 9%
Anal report: 7%
Sexual activities with more than one partner at a time: 2%
Photographing/filming a partner: 2%
Be photographed/filmed by a partner: 2%
Exchange of partners: 1%
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com