While it has long been assumed that risqué movies can cause risky behavior, there is now scientific data to back it up.

According to a new study conducted by psychological scientists at Dartmouth University, children who watch features films with sexual content have a tendency to start having sex at a younger age, have more casual sexual partners, and engage in unsafe sexual practices.

Using 1,228 participants aged 12-14, the study - entitled "Greater Exposure to Sexual Content in Popular Movies Predicts Earlier Sexual Debut and Increased Risk Taking" - has raised renewed concern over the potentially dangerous affect Hollywood has on adolescents. What many have found particularly disturbing is that the sexual content is not only limited to R-rated films. Researchers found that 68 percent of G, 82 percent of PG, and 85 percent of PG-13 rated movies of the 684 movies included in the study contained sexual situations.