Are children today growing up too soon? How do they - and their parents - feel about media portrayals of sex and personal relationships? Are the media a corrupting influence, or a potentially positive and useful resource for young people? Drawing on an extensive research project, which investigated children's interpretations of sexual content in films, TV and print media, this book considers how young people (aged 9-17) use such material to understand their experiences and build their identities, and how they and their parents respond to public concerns about these issues. The book offers a clearly written and entertaining insight into children's and parents' perspectives on these difficult issues - perspectives that are often ignored or trivialised in public debate.

Author David Buckingham: David Buckingham is Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, London University, UK, where he directs the Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media. His previous books include Children Talking Television (1993), Moving Images (1996), The Making of Citizens (2000), After the Death of Childhood (2000) and Media Education (2003).

List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction Talking Dirty: Research Methods Living and Learning Boy Meets Boy Meets Girl Meets Girl: Gender, Sexuality and Performance Bodies on Display: Pin-ups, Porn and Pop Stars Dirty Laundry: Private Lives, Public Confessions Show and Tell: Learning from Television Drama Family Viewing: Embarrassment, Education and Erotics Governing the Living Room: From Morality to Ethics Conclusion References Index