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| >> RESEARCH Our sister organisation, the Family Matters Institute has produced a number of reports - for a summary of the reports available see below. For the FMI summary click on the title. >> PURCHASE THESE REPORTS  Violence, Pornography and the MediaThis was a report submitted to the Family and child Protection Group of both Houses of Parliament on 25th June 1996. The report began with the results of a national opinion survey carried out by Opinion Research Business during May 1996. The survey findings showed that 61 percent of the population believed that freedom of expression in the public media had gone too far; whereas only 22 percent were prepared to defend the notion of complete freedom of expression. 85% of the population believed that pornography encourages sexual assaults upon women with only 10 percent saying that it had no effect. The main body of the research examined the links between media violence and crime, especially crimes of violence and sexual offences. It looked at the power of video and film and particularly focused upon the effects upon children. The report highlighted the damage being done to children by their access to pornography and scenes of violence via video and the Internet.  Family MattersThe object of this research was to produce an overview of family life in Britain at the end of the 20th century. The report was prepared for the Home Secretary and presented to the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP by the Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group at a meeting in the Moses Room in the House of Lords on 22 July 1998. The motivation for commissioning the report was the growing concern among members of both Houses of Parliament at the acceleration in the late of family breakdown in Britain and its effects upon the lives of children. The report has a section on demography looking at the trends in marriage and divorce, cohabitation, births outside marriage, single parents, and children and family types. A major section was a review of research projects on the family over the past decade with conclusions and projections. The report also has a useful section of recommendations and comments from a wide range of contributors representing most of the major institutions and organizations working with families.  Sex under 16Sex Under 16 is published by the Family Education Trust Young people comment on the social and educational influences on their behaviour. The primary focus of this research was to investigate the background of the high level of teenage pregnancy in the UK. A large representative sample of some 2,500 mixed ability young people in years 9 and 10, formed the cohort for this survey that was conducted in schools across England during school time and under the supervision of the class teacher and a researcher. It was carried out with a self-completed questionnaire under exam conditions. Sex Education The survey was not designed to show the effectiveness or otherwise of sex education in schools. It does, however, show the views of young people in regard to sex education and the role it plays in providing initial information. The research shows that most young people find out about sex bit by bit from different places, although they rate sex education as the most important source of information on the subject. In regard to the effectiveness of sex education in delaying sex, nearly half of the young people were unsure; nearly one in five said that it makes young people more likely to have sex. When asked where they were most likely to go for further information about sex, most said they would talk to friends. This does not indicate a great deal of confidence among young people in the value of sex education. Most say that sex education gives a better understanding of the physical side of sex, but few believe it gives a better understanding of the emotional side of a sexual relationship. When faced with the statement that 'sex education makes it less likely that the teenager will get pregnant' less than one-third agreed and one in five said that it actually makes young people more likely to have sex. Clearly sex education is not fulfilling the requirements of young people. This was highlighted by many of the comments from young people in the face-to-face interviews carried out during the piloting stages of the research and in case studies with teenage mothers. The attitude of those young people who have already had sex appears to indicate not only a lack of confidence in the role of sex education in schools that also a desire for more parental involvement in talking to them about sexual matters. This is one of the areas which requires more in-depth research. The views of young people in regard to the best ways of reducing the numbers of teenage pregnancies gave some interesting results. It was particularly notable that more than three-quarters of the girls said that girls should be made more aware of the problems of becoming a young mother. Pressures to have sex One in five girls in the age range 13 to 15 think that the age of consent should be raised to 18. This is a clear reflection of the pressures that are experienced by young people to have early sexual experience. These pressures come from a variety of sources, including the media. 28 percent of girls said that if they wanted more information about sex they would go to magazines. The influence of teenage magazines in encouraging sexual activity among young people needs further investigation. Of all the pressures upon young people to have early sex the most powerful is the peer group. There were many indications of this in the face-to-face interviews with young people during the piloting stage of this research. This was reinforced by the survey findings that almost half of those whose close friends are sexually active also say that they themselves have had sex. It is in strong contrast to young people who say that none of their close friends and had sex, only four percent of whom say that they themselves have had a sexual experience. This peer group pressure increases with age. The most disturbing finding to come out of the survey was the number of girls who appear to have been coerced into initial sex by external pressures rather than by their own free choice. One-third of young people said initial sexual experience for them was not a free choice. A further one-third said that 'it just happened'. Nearly two-thirds of young people in the 13 to 15 year age-range say that they have had two or more sexual partners. This contributes to the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses among young people that is of particular concern to health authorities. Marriage and cohabitation Marriage is still very popular with young people. Ninety percent say that they hope to marry. Most young people are willing to cohabit, but they see this as a preparation for marriage which is seen as the ideal relationship. The major reason for wanting to marry is 'to feel secure and loved'. This is very important for girls with nearly 80 percent saying that this is what they want in marriage. There is strong evidence that young people disapprove of planned single parenthood. Only 10 percent of boys and 12 percent of girls aged 13 to 15 said that they approve of a woman having a child outside a stable relationship. Influence of parents and family type The most significant influence upon young people's views comes from their own experience of family life and the influence of their parents. Young people are twice as likely to be sexually active at an early age if they are not living with both their parents. Where both parents are living together in a marriage union only 13 percent of their children are sexually active. That percentage doubles for one parent families and cohabiting couples. These findings show the importance of parental background and family type as an indicator of early sexual activity. This was the most consistently significant variable throughout the research. Most young people say that they find it difficult to talk to their parents about sexual matters. This lack of communication appears to be the major determinant affecting young people's behaviour. Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the EU and seven times that of the Netherlands. The research indicates that if parents were able to communicate more effectively with their children about sexual matters before they reach their teenage years this could influence them towards saying 'no' to sex at an early age.  Does Your Mother Know? A study of underage sexual behaviour and parental responsibilityBritain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. A new report, Does Your Mother Know?, offers practical responses to the alarming incidence of underage sex across the UK To view the .pdf file you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader downloaded. You can download this here.  The Cost of Family BreakdownThe family in Britain is in crisis. This is acknowledged by commentators across the political and social spectrum. Family breakdown is widespread. Few people do not know someone whose family has been affected by separation, divorce, cohabitation or single parenthood. There were 145,000 divorces in Britain in 1998, affecting just over 150,000 children. Each failed relationship produces pain and emotional hurt, creating an incalculable cost in human misery. The whole of society is affected by the social consequences of family breakdown. Huge financial costs are incurred not only by the individuals concerned, but also by local communities, the taxpayer, and society at large. Family breakdown impairs the health of the nation, reduces the educational achievement of its children, increases the crime rate, places a burden on the national economy and a strain on social relationships at all levels. There were 145,000 divorces in Britain in 1998, affecting just over 150,000 children. Each failed relationship produces pain and emotional hurt, creating an incalculable cost in human misery. Earlier research has quantified the costs of family breakdown in the range £4 billion to £10 billion. This report concludes that these previous estimates significantly understate the actual cost of family breakdown, and estimates that the direct annual costs are nearer to £15 billion, and rising. With indirect costs, the total is much more, quite possibly double that. The direct costs of family breakdown cost each of the UK's 26.2 million tax payers an average of £11 per week. Direct costs of £15 billion equate with about one third of government expenditure on education, just over a quarter of what it spends on the NHS, or almost exactly the combined totals it spends on industry, agriculture and employment, or on housing and the environment. Public money spent tackling the social problems caused by family breakdown could otherwise fund creative social projects which strengthen family life and national unity. Some of the costs of family breakdown are readily identifiable. The largest is the cost of welfare support and payments for children and parents, amounting to £8.5 billion. There are other less obvious costs, such as Legal Aid; the running costs of the Child Support Agency, special needs schools (disproportionately used by children from broken families), and child psychology services; some of the costs of the criminal justice system, remand centres and prisons; plus additional costs of health due to family breakdown. These can be estimated. Quantifying the lost potential as a result of family breakdown is infinitely more difficult. As a generalization, the likelihood of adverse outcomes for children from broken families is about twice that from intact families. These children start out in life with a huge man-made handicap. Children whose parents have divorced or whose cohabitation relationship has broken down are increasingly the victims of abuse and neglect. The rate of sexual abuse of girls by their stepfathers is at least six times higher than for girls in intact families than by their biological parents. Children from broken homes exhibit more health, emotional and behavioural problems; they have higher rates of suicide; and they are more frequently involved in drug abuse and crime. and have higher rates of suicide. Half of young offenders come from broken homes. They also perform badly at school, are less likely to go on to further education and more likely to get low paid jobs. They are twice as likely to suffer divorce or relationship breakdown in adult life than children from intact families. While the report's authors believe that marriage has proven through the ages to provide the surest foundations for a stable society and for raising children, the purpose of this report is not to moralise. Our principle purpose is to alert Parliament and the British people to the serious state of affairs which prevails in family life. In particular, we challenge those who are indifferent to, or even contemptuous of "family values" to acknowledge the massive financial and social costs which society at large is paying - costs which show no sign of diminishing. If the current trend is to be reversed, many agencies will need to be involved. The churches need to give a clear, unambiguous lead. Government must acknowledge its duty to guide, lead and set the tone. Rather than sit on the fence, government must be prepared to discriminate positively in favour of marriage as an ideal. This report makes a number of recommendations, many of which could be implemented by the government. But ultimately the state of the family in Britain will not improve unless people themselves desire change. A first step towards strengthening family life and protecting children has to be the recognition of the effects of family breakdown, its cost, both financially and in human suffering. What is needed above all is a cultural change at grass roots level, which acknowledges that the traditional family is the very foundation of a stable, prosperous and caring society. |
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