IJSRP, Volume 5, Issue 7, July 2015 Edition [ISSN 2250-3153]
Sammy Yaah Baya, Dr. Hellen K. Mberia and Dr. Julius Bosire
Abstract:
This paper examines the effects of parental mediation and television co-viewing on adolescents’ sexual initiation. Television plays an important role in the sexual socialization of adolescents. In Kenya, it has been established that sexual activity starts early, that 42 per cent of girls aged15-19 years have had sexual intercourse and 17 per cent are sexually active. Early sexual initiation (before age 16) is likely to involve sexual risk-taking and expose young people to unwanted sex, sexually transmitted infections, and teenage pregnancy. Research has revealed that in Kenya early sexual behaviour is manifested in the youth's high incidence of pregnancies, abortions, stress and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The paper sought to investigate the effects of parental mediation and TV co-viewing on adolescents sexual initiation by addressing the following three fundamental concerns, (1) how television influences early sexual initiation of adolescents, (2) the extent to which parental mediation and television co-viewing may influence adolescents sexual initiation, (3) whether television can play a major positive role in promoting adolescents sexual awareness.