Contemporary Adolescence Love and Sexuality

Love relationship sequence Same-gender groups go to places in hopes to find opposite-gender groups Social gatherings arranged by adults Mixed gender groups arrange to go to some particular event Couples begin to date as pairs

Why adolescents form love relationships Recreation Learning Status Companionship Intimacy Courtship 6 th and 11 th graders do it for recreation, intimacy, and status By college, it is for intimacy, companionship, and recreation

Developmental model of love Initiation phase Status phase Affection phase Bonding phase

Breaking up Implications of egocentrism

Reasons for Breaking Up Referring to self ▫I desired to be independent ▫I became bored with the relationship Referring to the partner ▫My partner desired to be independent ▫My partner became bored with the relationship ▫My partner became interested in someone else Referring to couple interaction ▫We had different interests ▫We had communication problems ▫We had conflicting sexual attitudes and/or problems ▫We had confliction marriage ideas ▫We had different backgrounds

Dating and emotions Study of 9 th – 12 th graders, what percent of strong emotion comes from real and fantasized relationships: ▫Girls: 33% heterosexual ▫Boys: 25% heterosexual ▫42% of these were negative emotions

Dating and emotions In a study of th graders: ▫More romantic experience = higher levels of social acceptance, friendship competence, and romantic competence; BUT higher level of substance use, delinquency, sexual behavior ▫Another study found that for girls, more romantic experiences = depressive symptoms and emotionally unavailable parents ▫At an early age, romantic relationships can be particularly problematic

Average age of sexual behaviors Age at First Experience MalesFemales Kissing Touch breast Touch penis Touch vagina Sexual intercourse Oral sex

Characteristics of sexually active adolescents By grades 9-12, about half of American adolescents have not had sexual intercourse ▫Adolescents who remain virgins through high school are more likely: to have developed later, have higher levels of academic performance and aspirations, to be politically conservative and participate in religious activities Early adolescents who are sexually active are: ▫More likely to use drugs and alcohol, more likely to come from single-parent homes and live in poverty Most studies show no difference in parental monitoring between being sexually active or not ▫There are differences based on ethnicity

Same-Sex Attraction FemalesMales Age 16Age 17Age 22Age 16Age 17Age 22 Same-sex romantic attraction 5%4%13%7%5% Same-sex sexual behavior 1% 4%1% 3% Sexual identity: Gay/Lesbian Bisexual 1% 3% 2% 1%

Coming out Awareness of GLB identity usually begins in early adolescence Disclosure usually happens in late adolescence or early adulthood Average age in 1970’s: 21; average age today: 16 First disclosure is usually to a friend For many, the coming-out process is never complete

Coming out About 1/3 GLB adolescents have attempted suicide Rates of substance abuse, school difficulties, and running away are also higher in GLB adolescents Increased risk of harassment from peers It is becoming more and more accepted among adolescents, but homophobia is still pervasive

Sex Education (Pearson) Motivation for appropriate relationships ▫Learning about healthy relationships ▫Engaging young people in sexual meaning (not just health—intimacy) ▫Place child (or potential child) at center stage

Intimacy—types Sexual Emotional Intellectual Aesthetic Creative Recreational Work Crisis Commitment Spiritual