Chapter 11

1. Chapter 11 Sexuality Adolescent Sexuality

2. Why Is Sexuality an Adolescent Issue? After puberty, there are changes in the nature and meaning of sexual behavior Sexual activity can now lead to pregnancy Adolescent sexuality is also influenced by Emerging cognitive capabilities (introspection and reflection about sexual behavior) Concerns about new social roles

3. How Sexually Permissive Is Contemporary Society? Sexually restrictive societies Discontinuous transition Pressure to refrain from sexual activity until they have undergone a formal rite of passage or have married Many pursue sex in secrecy because of this pressure Sometimes, males and females are separated throughout childhood and adolescence

4. How Sexually Permissive Is Contemporary Society? Semirestrictive societies Sexual activity among adolescents frowned on but prohibitions are not consistently enforced Premarital promiscuity is common Parents don’t object as long as love affairs are kept secret Premarital pregnancy is objectionable and may result in adolescents’ being forced to marry

5. How Sexually Permissive Is Contemporary Society? Permissive societies Highly continuous transition into sexual activity, begins in childhood Children openly masturbate Imitate adult intercourse Seeking privacy to engage in sex play is approved of by adults

6. Sexual Activity During Adolescence Promiscuity in adolescence is rare Stages of sexual activity Autoerotic behavior – sexual behavior that is experienced alone (e.g., having erotic fantasies, masturbation, nocturnal orgasms) By high school, transition to sexual activity involving another person For many girls, first sexual experience is forced Especially among girls 13 or younger

7. Sexual Intercourse During Adolescence • Prevalence of sexual intercourse • Slightly fewer adolescents are having sex compared to previous eras • However, those who are do so at a somewhat earlier age • Less common amongst children from authoritative families • Girls from single-parent families are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse

8. Adolescent Sexuality • Girls tend to be influenced more by their peers as it pertains to: • Attitudes about premarital sex • Contraception • Safer sex practices

9. Sexual Activity During Adolescence By the end of 10th grade, more than 40% have had heterosexual vaginal intercourse By age 18, 2/3 of adolescents have had intercourse

10. Ethnic Differences in Age of Sexual Initiation For Males

11. Changes in Adolescent Sexual Activity Over Time The percentage of sexually active adolescents increased during 1970s and 80s, decreased slightly from 1995 to 2001 One-third of adolescents have early sexual intercourse (before ninth grade) Greatest increase in prevalence of premarital intercourse has been among females

12. Sexually Active Adolescents Characteristics of sexually active adolescents Sexual activity during adolescence (age 16 or later) Is not associated with psychological disturbance Levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction are similar to other adolescents’ However, early sexual activity (before age 16) is associated with a behavioral profile that includes: Experimentation with drugs and alcohol Lower levels of religious involvement Minor delinquency Lower interest in academic achievement Stronger orientation toward independence

13. What Influences Sexual Activity? Hormones are especially important for boys Testosterone surge sparks initial interest in sex for boys and girls (girls are also influenced by estrogens) Boys who are more popular with girls and mature earlier tend to initiate sex earlier than unpopular boys Biological factors have a very strong influence on boys’ sexual behavior Context is especially important for girls Important predictors of girls’ involvement in sexual intercourse are whether their friends are doing it or whether they have sexually permissive attitudes

14. Parental Influences on Sexual Activity Authoritative parenting is associated with adolescents who are Less likely to become sexually active at an early age Less likely to engage in risky sexual activity Parent-adolescent communication about sex Stops them from engaging in risky sexual behaviors, but does little to prevent them from being sexually active in general

15. Sexual Activity and Household Composition • Household composition predicts sexual involvement • Especially among girls • Adolescents whose parents are in the process of divorcing as well as girls who live in single-parent households are more likely to be sexually active earlier than their peers • True regardless of when (or if) a divorce took place

16. Why does Growing up in a Single-parent Home Affect Girls’ Sexual Behavior more than Boys? Social influences stronger affect on girls than boys Single-parent mothers might be dating and this might model sexual activity to their adolescent Girls are more likely to respond to problems at home by going outside the family for alternative sources of support Genetic influences

17. Parental Influences on Adolescent Sexuality • 4 ways • 1. parental attitudes towards sexual behavior will influence the teen • 2. marital and child rearing behavior provides role models • 3. religious environment influences sexual attitudes and sexual guilt • 4. education level and experience of parent may influence attitudes and present opportunities for sexual activity if parents are away

18. Parental influence on sexual behavior • Some studies show that when parents/children cannot have an adequate discussion about sexuality the teen is likely to engage in sexual behavior earlier

19. Media influence of sexual behavior • Media models of sexual behavior: • Roles the media gives: • Women as passive victims • Women as sexual beings • Women as play things • Men as conquerors

20. Peer Influences on Sexual Behavior Having sexually active peers establishes a normative standard that having sex is okay Peers also can communicate directly about sex, with friends or with potential partners Risk factors for sexual activity are cumulative

21. Freud Psychosexual Development • Stage 1 – Oral Stage (Birth-18 months) – erotic focus is the mouth. • Pleasure seeking activities include sucking, chewing, biting. • If needs are gratified too much or too little they continue to seek gratification as an adult

22. Anal Stage • Stage 2 – Anal Stage – (1 ½ years to 3) – erotic focus is on the anus – expelling or retaining feces. • If child gets locked into this stage, they continue to engage in behaviors associated with retention or elimination. They may become anal retentive or anal expulsive.

23. Stage 3 – Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years) – erotic focus is on the genital area. • Oedipal/Electra complex • Problems resolving the complex may lead to feelings of inferiority toward their own sex and having to prove something to the opposite sex.

24. Virginity Pledges • Only works for younger adolescents • No effect on high school students • Those who take a virginity pledge are less likely to use contraception • Other contexts in which virginity pledges do not work • In schools where very few students take virginity pledges • In schools where nearly everyone pledges

25. What Does Sex Mean to Boys and Girls? Boys are… More likely to keep matters of sex and intimacy separate More likely to have experienced orgasm through masturbation More likely to interpret intercourse in terms of recreation than intimacy Girls are… More likely to integrate sexual activity into an existing capacity for intimacy and emotional involvement More likely to take the view that sex is combined with romance, love, friendship, and intimacy More likely to feel conflicted afterward because of societal pressures and worries about pregnancy

26. Homosexuality in Adolescence About 6% of boys and 13% of girls report having had same-sex attractions, a nonheterosexual orientation, or engaging in same-sex activity during adolescence Confusion is common about Sexual orientation – extent to which an individual is oriented toward heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual activity Sex-role behavior – extent to which an individual behaves in traditionally masculine or feminine ways Gender identity – which gender an individual believes he/she is

27. Sexual Harassment, Rape, and Sexual Abuse Date rape – being forced to have sex by a date Sexual harassment is widespread in American public schools Adolescents are abused and neglected at higher rates than children Victims are disproportionately female and poor

28. Forms of Sexual Harassment

29. Contraceptive Use Among Sexually Active Adolescents Many adolescents fail to use contraception regularly Although rates have improved since 1970s, ~40% of high school students did not use a condom the most recent time they had sex

30. Adolescents’ Reasons for not using Contraception Lack of planning Lack of access Lack of knowledge Taken together, what can adults do to improve the contraceptive behavior of adolescents?

31. Sexuality and STDs • Teens frequently not using condoms to treat diseases • Why? • Incorrect information • Limited access to contraception because of location, cost or social and cultural barriers • 5% of all adolescents contract and STD • Half of those infected with HIV are younger than 25