FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 3 Study Guide Chapter 11 Premarital Sexual Behavior o Reasons for first intercourse Males 43 say opportunity 23 say love Females 11 say opportunity 54 say love o Who they are having sex with age of partner relationship type Most sexually active adolescents have partners near their own age 3 4 of females say either the same age or 1 3 years older Most teenage girls who lose their virginity do so with a steady boyfriend o How many adolescents have had sex 7 of teens by age 13 30 of teens 15 17 66 70 of 18 19 years old Sexual pluralism different individuals accept a number of standards of sexual behavior o Abstinence many teens differ on what they consider abstaining from sex o Commitment some adolescents engage in intercourse only with affection commitment and responsibility The definition of commitment varies from person to person o Friends with benefits sex with affection but no commitment has become the standard for many adolescents 50 60 of undergrads o Ulterior motives for sex sex without affection or commitment often has ulterior motives such as To punish To win or return favors To control behavior To build up the ego Sexual aggression and saying no to unwanted sex o Almost all studies indicate sexual aggression in adolescents is quite common rates are highest for Black and 12th grade students o Rates increase when unwanted sexual behavior is considered when a person consents to sex even though they would rather not Might do so because they feel obligated feel the partner might end the relationship are afraid of being labeled as gay alcohol use may be involved Contraceptives and STDs o What kinds of contraceptives are adolescents most likely to use The most common is the condom 94 Next most common is birth control pill 61 Withdrawal method 55 o What are the most common STDs among adolescents HPV is the most commonly contracted STD second most common is trichomoniasis FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 3 Study Guide o Why contraceptives are not used Some are misinformed about what are supposedly safe times to have sex are and the likelihood of pregnancy Many do not believe pregnancy will happen to them A small percentage really want to get pregnant because they believe it will ensure long term commitment from their partner Some hesitate to obtain because of fear of parental disapproval o Access to contraceptives can adolescents get contraceptives What impact does this availability have on sexual activity among teens No state can legally restrict the distribution of contraceptives to minors Some adults worry that the availability of contraceptives will increase teen promiscuity Evidence indicates however that contraceptive knowledge has no influence on sexual behavior Motherhood about 97 of adolescent mothers decide to keep their babies They are more likely to be poor have poor relationships with their parents to have experienced child abuse to have parents who are substance abusers and to have parents who fail to monitor their behavior Fatherhood adolescent fathers are more likely to be poor live in low income neighborhoods have done poorly in school and be dropouts delinquents They are also more likely to be uninvolved in the child s life fathers cite maternal resistance as the reason mothers cite paternal disinterest o Differences in rates between US and other countries The U S has the highest rate of teen pregnancy among any other Teen pregnancy o Outcomes for mothers and fathers Gay and lesbian youth industrialized society o Theories of determinants of sexual orientation Biological theories one s biology can influence one s sexual orientation in any of three ways 1 genetic differences 2 exposure to atypical concentrations of prenatal sex hormones 3 differences in brain structure Psychoanalytic Parenting theories traditionally homosexuality was thought to be caused by problems in the parent child relationship however research has proven there is little evidence that parents have much effect upon their children s sexual behavior Social Learning theories behaviorists would emphasize that homosexuality is simply the result of learning According to this psychological conditioning through reinforcement or punishment of early sexual thoughts feelings and behavior is what influences sexual preference Thus a person may lean toward homosexuality if he she has unpleasant heterosexual experiences such as being raped FAD4936 Contexts of Adolescence Spring 2014 Exam 3 Study Guide o Youth adjustment The lack of any consistent environmental factors has lead most researchers today to conclude that homosexuality must have a biological basis Many gay and lesbian adolescents find it extremely difficult to come out to their parents for fear of abandonment or abuse They are also at heightened risk for harassment and victimization at school When these stressors are coupled with rejection by family and friends and the pain of acknowledging an atypical identity homosexual teens are much more likely than straight teens to be depressed attempt suicide and develop eating disorders Sex education o Approaches and their effectiveness A large majority of schools employ an abstinence preferred model of sex education in which they attempt to teach students that practicing celibacy during adolescence is the most desirable behavior but still provide information about STDs and birth control as well as the basic biology of reproduction Increasingly common is the abstinence only model in which teachers stress that all individuals should remain celibate until marriage No info about BC is provided 1 3rd of schools use this model and this number is growing although virtually all studies show it is less effective that abstinence preferred or comprehensive sex education The comprehensive sex education model is a third model in which abstinence is presented as one option but broader more inclusive curricula are also included Chapter 12 Views on education o Traditionalists vs progressives Traditionalists argue that the purpose of education is to teach the basics English science math history and foreign languages so as to increase student knowledge and intellectual powers Progressives urge that the purpose of education is to prepare students for life by teaching citizenship home and family living a vocation physical health a gratifying use of leisure time and effective personality growth o Performance goal structure vs task mastery structure Performance