Children who are exposed to adult-themed TV shows and movies are more likely to have sex in early adolescence, according to a study by Children’s Hospital Boston. The study found that for every hour the youngest group of children (6- to 8-year-olds) watched adult-targeted content over the two sample days, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent. Dr. Jennifer Shuford, director of applied science at the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, said other research has shown children don’t have the capacity to distinguish entertainment from reality. “When they see sexual activity on television, it becomes part of their reality,” she said. “As an adult, you can look at that and say, ‘That’s television, and that’s not the real world.’”
