Students have turned to sex work to fund studies
Almost five per cent of students have worked in the sex industry to reduce their loan debts or fund their lifestyles, according to a major new study from Swansea University. The Student Sex Work Project, based on a survey of 6,773 students across the UK, also found that around one in five students have considered such work and that male students are more likely to do sex work than female. Sex work varied from prostitution and escorting to stripping and internet work. The figures mean that given a total UK university population of around 2.3 million, the number of student sex workers could be in the tens of thousands. The study found that one in four student sex workers does not always feel safe and that they felt it necessary to keep their work a secret. The researchers have called on universities to do more to support those involved. See also: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16157522
Pornography addiction worry
A tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds fear they are ‘addicted’ to pornography, an NSPCC ChildLine survey has concluded. One in five of nearly 700 youngsters surveyed said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, researchers found. The charity also says that 12% of those surveyed said they had taken part in, or had made, a sexually explicit video. It says that viewing porn is ‘a part of everyday life’ for many of the children who contact its helpline. ChildLine has launched a campaign to raise awareness and provide advice to young people about the harmful implications of an over-exposure to porn following the survey results. One boy under the age of 15 told ChildLine that he was ‘always watching porn, and some of it is quite aggressive’. He said: ‘I didn't think it was affecting me at first but I've started to view girls a bit differently recently and it's making me worried.’
'Killing Jesus' breaks National Geographic ratings record
‘Killing Jesus,’which aired on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday (29 March), scored an all-time high for viewership at 3.7 million. The TV movie also received a rating of 1.0, the highest rating since the premiere of ‘Killing Kennedy’ in November 2013. Both ‘Killing Jesus’ and ‘Killing Kennedy’ were based on books of the same titles by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. ‘Killing Jesus’ will be featured again on the Fox News Channel this Friday at 8:00pm and on Easter Sunday at 8pm. It will also air across the globe in 171 countries. The film features Haaz Sleiman as Jesus, Kelsey Grammer as King Herod the Great, and Stephen Moyer as Pontius Pilate.It also includes Rufus Sewell as Caiaphas, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Herodias, Eoin Macken as Antipas, and John Rhys Davies as Annas.
Communities Secretary welcomes council prayers bill
Eric Pickles has welcomed the passing of a new law which ensures all councils have the right to hold prayers at the start of meetings. The Local Government (Religious Observances) Act received Royal Assent from the Queen on Thursday 26 March after clearing its final stages in Parliament this week. The bill means councils at any level can be 'beyond any doubt' that they can chose to start meetings with prayer without fearing discrimination accusations. The legislation which was supported by the Government was taken through Parliament by Jake Berry MP and Lord Patrick Cormack after a number of legal challenges by individuals - some of whom had been supported by the National Secular Society. Communities and Local Government Secretary and Minister for Faith, Eric Pickles said: ‘The right to worship is a fundamental and hard-fought British liberty, and the fight for religious freedom in British history is deeply entwined with the political freedoms we take for granted.’ (See Prayer Alert 01-2015)
