Transcript Adolescence * Social And Emotional Development

MALE AND FEMALE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
Adolescents begin dating earlier than past generations
 Earlier dating – more likely to engage in sexual activity in high school
 Initiate sexual activity earlier – less likely to use contraception
Incidence of oral sex increases with age
Most teenagers do not plan their first sexual experience
Sexual activity: type of leisure occupation; may be self-care when related
to procreation
WHY DO SOME TEENAGERS INITIATE SEXUAL ACTIVITY AT AN
EARLY AGE, WHILE OTHERS WAIT UNTIL LATER?
Effects of puberty
 Social factors may regulate sexual behavior more in girls
 Early onset puberty – earlier sexual activity
Parental influences
 Close relationship with parents – less early sexual activity
Peer influences
 Predictor of sexual activity
 Sexual activity of best friend
WHAT ARE REASONS WHY TEENS (15-19) REPORT NOT HAVING SEX ?
 ** 48% of females and 32% of males had mixed feelings about their first
sexual experience (about whether they wanted it to happen)
WHAT ARE SOME PATTERNS OF
SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENCE?
Masturbation
 Most common sexual outlet for teens
 Nearly universal among male teens, less among female teens
Sexual Orientation
 Sexually attracted to, and interested in forming a relationship
 With people of other sex – Heterosexual
 With people of same sex – Homosexual
 With people of either sex – Bisexual
 One may engage in sexual activity outside of sexual orientation
PERCENTAGE OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE EVER
HAD SEXUAL INTERCOURSE, BY RACE/ETHNICITY AND YEAR
– UNITED STATES
HOMOSEXUAL SEXUAL ORIENTATION
How does sexual identity develop for gay males and lesbians?
 Attraction to members of same sex
 Self-labeling as gay or lesbian
 Sexual contact with members of same sex
 Disclosure of sexual orientation to others
Coming out
 Recognizing and accepting one’s homosexuality to oneself
 Declaring it to others
 Gay youth, especially males are at higher risk for school problems,
substance abuse, depression and suicide
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE ORIGINS
OF GAY AND LESBIAN SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Learning theorists
 Reinforcement and observational learning
 Most individuals are aware of sexual orientation before experience sexual
contact
 Societal condemnation provide few positive effects
Genetic factors
 Sibling and twin studies; runs in families’ 52% of identical twins; 22% for
fraternal twins
Sex hormones
 Sexual orientation not reliably connected with adults levels of sex hormones
 May effect developing embryo and fetus
TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Throughout history, girls were first becoming pregnant during teens
 In US today, 9 in 10 teens who become pregnant do so accidentally and without
committed partners
Reasons for teenage pregnancy in US
 Little advice on handling sexual advances
 Failure to use contraception; about 75-80% of sexually active high school
students use contraceptives
 Pregnancy may be used to force a commitment, rebel against a parent or moral
standards
 Miscalculate odds of getting pregnant; “Won’t happen to me”
 Alcohol or drug use
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES
OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY?
Consequences for pregnant teen
 More likely to experience medical complications; Less likely to complete
education; Lower salaries
Consequences for teen father
 Lower grades in school than peers; Enter workforce at earlier age
Consequences for children of teen mom
 Lower cognitive functions; More behavioral, emotional problems; More likely to
become teen parent; negative consequences result from socially and
economically deprived environments, not from the mother’s age
PREVENTING TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Sex education programs
 Increase knowledge about sexuality; encourage delay onset of sexual activity
School-based clinics that distribute contraceptives
 Birthrates often drop significantly
Abstinence-only programs
 No effect on teenage pregnancy rates
 Teen pregnancy rates vary from 2- 5 % within US States; NH, VT, MA, CT, RI have
the lowest rates; NM, TX, OK, AR MS have highest
WHAT IS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY?
Illegal activities committed by child or adolescent and come into
contact with the criminal justice system
 Some activities are illegal only if committed by minors (Status offenses)
Ethnicity
 Factors for overrepresentation of African American youth in juvenile justice
system
 Differential offending hypothesis
 Differential treatment hypothesis
 Economic and family factors
DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR
Boys more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors and
commit more crimes of violence
Girls commit more status offenses such as Running away
and truancy
Family factors: lax; ineffective discipline; severe parental;
punishment; parents/siblings often engage in delinquent
behavior; neighborhoods where such behavior is the norm;
low levels of affection
Prenatal smoking by the mother?
WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO ENGAGE
IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR?
Many risk factors – causality is not clear
 Early aggressive, antisocial, or hyperactive behaviors
 Low verbal IQ, immature moral reasoning
 Low self-esteem and impulsivity
 Parents and/or siblings have been involved in antisocial behaviors
 Little interest and poor performance in school
 Early substance abuse, early sexuality
 Delinquent friends
 Use of violence in interactions
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Focus on individual offender
Focus on systems
 Family, peer groups, school, community
Early childhood intervention programs
HOW MANY ADOLESCENTS COMMIT SUICIDE? WHY?
Among adolescents – suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death; since
1960 teen suicide rates have tripled; 7-8 per 100,000
Risk factors in suicide – areas of psychological problems
 Confusion about self; Impulsiveness
 Emotional instability; feelings of depression, hopelessness, low self-esteem
 Interpersonal problems, victimization by bullying
 Post-traumatic events
 Concerns about sexuality
 Pressures to achieve; Anxiety; stress
 Belief that it is acceptable to kill oneself
 Drug abuse, smoking, extensive body piercing
 Hostility
SUICIDE
Suicide runs in families
 Genetics
 Socially impoverished family environment
 Poor problem-solving
 BE AWARE OF THE SIGNS!!! WHAT ARE THE SIGNS??