SEX
EDUCATION
Coyne, Beasley T. and V. J. Schoenbach. 2024. “The African-American Church: A Potential Forum for Adolescent Comprehensive Sexuality Education.” Journal of Adolescent Health vol. 26, pp. 289-294.
Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate
the attitudes and beliefs of clergy from African-American churches towards
sexuality education and the provision of sexuality education in their churches.
METHODS: A pilot study was designed to survey a convenience sample of clergy
leaders from African-American churches about their young adolescent members.
The survey asked about priority health topics, prevalence of sexual and drug
risk behavior and the clergy's desire for health education programs. The
churches were located in a county (1990 population approximately 200,000, 40%
African-American) in the southeastern United States. RESULTS: The respondents'
highest priority issues were drugs, violence, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and alcohol.
Many (76%) had discussed one or more of these issues in church. All respondents
wanted additional health seminars for their adolescents, though some clergy
(30%) excluded some sexual topics (i.e., anal sex, bisexuality, homosexuality,
masturbation, oral sex). Only 6% would make condoms available in their
churches, but all would allow contraceptive education. CONCLUSIONS: Many
African-American churches are open to including sexuality education among their
health education offerings for young adolescents. The church should be
considered as a potential forum for providing comprehensive sexuality education
for African-American adolescents.
[Source: ML]
DiIorio, C., K. Resnicow, W. N. Dudley, S. Thomas, D. T. Wang, D. F. Van Marter, B. Manteuffel, and J. Lipana. 2024. “Social Cognitive Factors Associated with Mother-Adolescent Communication About Sex.” Journal of Health Communication vol. 5, pp. 41-51.
Abstract: To better
understand why some mothers talk to their children about sex and others do not,
we examined the role of two social cognitive variable-self-efficacy and outcome
expectancies--in explaining sex-based communication. The present study was part
of a larger study to test the efficacy of two HIV prevention programs for
mothers and their adolescents. Mothers and their adolescents were recruited
from a large community organization that serves youth who live in disadvantaged
circumstances. The sample for the present study included 486 mothers who
averaged 38.4 years of age (SD = 6.73). The majority were African American
(97.7%), not married (66.7%), and had a high school degree (89.5%). Their
adolescents ranged in age from II through 14 years of age and most were male
(61.3%). The results of the analysis revealed that mothers who expressed higher
levels of self-efficacy and more favorable outcomes associated with talking to
their children about sex were more likely to do so. In a regression analysis,
we learned that the mother's degree of efficacy beliefs, along with her
expected outcomes associated with talking about sex, the importance of
religious beliefs to her, and the age and sex of her adolescents were important
factors associated with talking with them about sex. [Source: SC]
Ali, Heidi Karamat and Anthony Naidoo. 1999. “Sex Education Sources and Attitudes About Premarital Sex of Seventh Day Adventist Youth.” Psychological Reports vol. 84, p. 312.
Abstract: 37 Seventh Day
Adventist youth were surveyed about their sex education and attitudes towards
premarital sex. Analysis indicated differences between their attitudes and actual
sexual behaviour. While 70%. endorsed the church's prohibition on premarital
sex, 54% had engaged in premarital sex.
[Source: PI]
Gustafson, Cynthia Zotalis. 1998. “The Effects of a Health Promotion Program on Parental Attitudes and Behaviors and Adolescent Sexual Well-Being.” Thesis, University of Michigan.
Abstract: Fifty-two parents
and their 35 teens participated in an eight-week church-based health promotion
program designed to strengthen parental attitudes and behaviors that enhance
adolescent sexual well-being. Measures of interpersonal influences of parents
and adolescent sexual well-being of this group were compared with 37 parents
and their 28 teens who did not participate in the program. Teens in the program
increased satisfaction with their own personal sexuality and clarity of
personal sexual values. Families also displayed a trend toward increased
quality of parent-teen communication about sex when compared to families not
participating in the program. These are positive initial effects given the
limited time frame for intervention and measurement of outcomes. Implementation
of the program by the investigator was successfully completed in the religious
communities and is an example of a community-based nursing intervention that
can be tested further as a means to address the health promotion needs of the
parent-teen population. [Source: PI]
Sawyer, Robin G., Paul J. Pinciaro, and Anne Anderson Sawyer. 1998. “Pregnancy Testing and Counseling-a University Health Center's 5-Year Experience.” Journal of American College Health vol. 46, pp. 221-225.
Stephenson, Andy Lee. 1997. “The Role of the Fundamentalist Church Institution in Value Clarification among Adolescents.” Ph.d. Thesis, The University of Texas At Arlington.
Abstract: This study
randomly examined 51 senior pastors and 47 youth workers from a fundamentalist
denomination to analyze leadership influence and other church factors influence
on the involvement of the fundamentalist church in addressing and educating
adolescents in value clarification. The study also surveyed 241 adolescents to
discover the influence of church discussion, parental communication and church
size on adolescent sexual behavior. The results of the study indicate senior
pastor's and youth worker's previous training are significant predictor
variables of church involvement in the education of adolescents in value
clarification. Also senior pastor readiness to educate youth in value
clarification of societal issues was a significant factor in the youth worker
sample. The results revealed larger churches were more likely to address value
clarification with their adolescents than small churches in the youth worker
sample. The adolescent sample reported total parent-adolescent communication
was inversely related to adolescent sexual behavior. When father-adolescent and
mother-adolescent communication were analyzed separately, father-adolescent
communication was a significant predictor variable inversely related to
adolescent sexual activity. Church size was also a predictor variable with
churches in the middle size category indicating a positive relationship to
increased sexual activity of adolescents when compared to small churches. Age
and gender were also significant predictors of adolescent sexual activity. [Source: DA]
Metcalf Whittaker, Marilyn. 1996. “Adolescent Attitudes Towards Parental Sex Roles, Family Size, and Birth Control.” Ph.D. Thesis, The University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill.
Abstract: This project is a
secondary analysis of survey data collected by researchers at the University of
Michigan Institute for Social Research. The study seeks to discover the effects
of interactions among respondents' demographic characteristics, religious
affiliations, academic aspirations, and family characteristics on their
attitudes towards parental sex roles, desired number of children, and attitudes
towards birth control issues. In addition, the effects of having had sex
education or birth control education on attitudes towards birth control issues
will be assessed. [Source: DA]
Arp, Robert K. 1995. “A Strategy for Commitment to Sexual Purity among Senior High Students.” Thesis, Erskine Theological Seminary.
Abstract: The dissertation
describes and evaluates biblical and cultural perspectives of human sexuality
in light of adolescent development. Senior high school students were evaluated
on their present sexual experience, spiritual growth and faith development and
knowledge of human sexuality. The dissertation also has five sexual abstinence
sessions designed to affirm students in their commitment to sexual purity
before and after marriage. [Source: RI]
Beitz, Janice Marian. 1995. “Social and Educational Factors Affecting Sex Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of College Students.” Ph.d. Thesis, Temple University.
Abstract: Adolescent sexual
risk behaviors are a national health issue as Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have spread in
the American population. Social cognitive theory suggests that social and
educational factors influence these behaviors. Previous research has found
equivocal results in certain factors' relationships to and their interactive
effect on sexuality. Earlier sex behavior's effect on current cognition has not
been well examined. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic,
psychosocial, and educational variables related to sex knowledge, attitudes,
and behaviors of college students. The study addressed the following questions:
What are the individual and interactive effects of number of sources and
intensity of formal sex education, performance self-esteem, parent-adolescent
communication, and religiosity on sex variables? Does gender affect these
independent variables? How does gender and/or age of first coitus affect
selected sex variables? Measures of the independent variables and sex
knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were administered. Subjects were 200
full-time college students, aged 17 to 25 years old, enrolled in two large
urban universities and a community college. For the independent variables,
correlation analyses indicated that formal sex education, parent-adolescent
communication, and religiosity were significantly but very weakly related to
sex attitudes. No other intercorrelations were significant. Simple multiple
regression demonstrated that the variables taken together explained negligible
variance in sex behaviors. Gender generated differences in the independent
variables. Independent t-tests indicated that males scored significantly lower
than females in parent-adolescent communication with mother, social
self-esteem, and religiosity. For age of first coitus and gender, a one-way
analysis of variance indicated that males had significantly more liberal sex
attitudes than females. Subjects with earlier first coitus had significantly
more liberal sex attitudes and greater STDs. No interactions were significant.
Age of first coitus itself was examined. Independent t-tests demonstrated that
subjects with earlier first coitus had significantly less sex knowledge, more
liberal sex attitudes, and greater risk behaviors. Results suggested that first
coitus age and gender affected sexuality differentially. Recommendations were
made for educational and health care practice and further research. [Source: DA]
Benson, M. D. and E. J. Torpy. 1995. “Sexual Behavior in Junior-High School Students.” Obstetrics and Gynecology vol. 85, pp. 279-284.
Abstract: Objective: To
evaluate the association between 14 demographic variables and the loss of
virginity in a specific sample of junior high school students in Chicago.
Methods: Nine hundred seventy-six students in nine Chicago junior high schools,
sixth through eighth grades, were given an anonymous behavior survey (the
noncognitive assessment survey). Two separate logistic regression equations
were used to determine the relative relationships of the demographic variables
to self-reported virginity loss. Results: Five variables were significantly
associated with virginity loss in both regression equations. In rank order,
they were gender, ethnic group, pubertal status, suicidal ideation, and sibling
number (adjusted odds ratio 13.3, 4.57, 3.38, 1.93, and 1.24, respectively.)
Nine variables did not have a consistent relation with early sexual activity:
church attendance, religious affiliation, grade average, housing status,
marital status of natural parents, self-esteem, sex education knowledge, school
attendance, and chronologic age. Conclusions: These results call into question
two widely held assumptions that form the foundation of many teen pregnancy
prevention efforts. First, although many believe that sex education courses can
affect behavior, we found no link, either positive or negative, between
knowledge of reproductive biology and age of first intercourse. Second,
self-esteem level was not associated with age of first intercourse. The
variables that did seem related to early sexual activity do not lend themselves
to easy manipulation. Our findings suggest that current school-based efforts to
alter teen pregnancy rates and sexual behavior are unlikely to succeed. [Source: SC]
De Gaston, Jacqueline F., Larry Jensen, and Stan Weed. 1995. “A Closer Look at Adolescent Sexual Activity.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence vol. 24, pp. 465-479.
Abstract: Examines adolescent
sexuality, drawing on survey data from 1,228 parochial students in the eastern
US. Few claimed that sex was forced or even pressured. Over 50% reported
"going steady" as their relationship status when experiencing their
first intercourse. Another 25% reported that they were "dating" or
"knew each other well." Approximately 20% reported that drugs or
alcohol were used at the time of first sex, & 75% had first sex at either
their own home or a friend's home. Nearly 50% wished they had waited longer before
having sex, especially the females & the more religious students. Half of
the nonvirgin students reported having had only 1 sexual partner. The
implications of this information for setting social policy, & designing
& implementing effective sex education programs are discussed. [Source: SA]
Hogan, Harold E., Jr. 1995. “Leading the Youth of First Baptist Church, Crockett, Tx, to Evaluate Opposite Sex Relationships in Light of the Biblical View of Agape Love.” Thesis, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Abstract: The author
completed a thirteen-week Bible study on the biblical concept of agape love.
The author explored three areas of opposite sex relationships in the context of
agape love: friendship, family, and marriage. The author utilized video clips
as teaching aids. The youth showed attitudinal changes which were more
consistent with the biblical teaching on agape love. [Source: RI]
Rubin, Roger H., Andrew Billingsley, and Cleopatra Howard Caldwell. 1994. “The Black Church and Adolescent Sexuality.” National Journal of Sociology vol. 8, pp. 131-148.
Abstract: In the Black
Church Family Project survey of 635 northern black churches, 176 churches
reported having at least 1 program directed at adolescent members of the community.
Focus here is on problems related to adolescent sexuality, including pregnancy,
out-of-wedlock births, homosexuality, & sexually transmitted diseases.
Relatively few churches reported being actively engaged in these types of
programs, due in part to the church's historical reticence regarding sexual
issues. However, the omnipresence of the church, community linkages, its
history of service, & the traditional religiosity of black youth provide
opportunities for the church to involve black youth in programs that address
sexual behavior. [Source: SA]
Tapia, Andrés. 1993. “Abstinence: The Radical Choice for Sex Ed.” Christianity Today vol. 37, pp. 24-29.
Feldman, P. 1992. “Sexuality, Birth-Control and Childbirth in Orthodox Jewish Tradition.” Canadian Medical Association Journal vol. 146, pp. 29-33.
Abstract: This paper
examines some of the traditional texts that deal with sexuality, birth control
and childbirth in the orthodox Jewish tradition and presents the rules
governing these areas. For instance, a married woman should avoid being alone
with a male physician unless other people are in earshot and have access to the
room. A husband and wife must separate during the woman's menses and for the
first 7 days afterward. Contraception is permitted if childbearing would
endanger a woman's life or health. Termination of pregnancy is also permitted
to preserve a woman's health, including her mental health. During childbirth
the health of the mother is primary and supercedes all other rules or laws, including
those of Sabbath observance. In general, orthodox Jewish women try to live as
much as possible within the framework of Halacha. These customs are examined as
examples of the need for sensitivity to cultural norms that affect the
behaviour of different ethnic groups.
[Source: SC]
Stone, Rebecca and Cynthia Waszak. 1992. “Adolescent Knowledge and Attitudes About Abortion.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 24, pp. 52-57.
Abstract: Data from a focus-group
study of adolescents from cities across the US indicate that they lack accurate
knowledge about abortion & the laws governing it, describing it as
medically dangerous, emotionally damaging, & widely illegal. Findings also
reveal that antiabortion views, conservative morality, & religious beliefs
are primary sources of adolescents' attitudes toward abortion. Participants
expressed personal opposition to abortion, but supported its continued legality
as a woman's choice. Although most of the teenagers expressed positive feelings
toward parents, they did not feel that mandatory parental involvement would be
helpful &, in some cases, could be harmful. [Source: SA]
Boyer, Cherrie B. and Susan M. Kegeles. 1991. “Aids Risk and Prevention among Adolescents.” Social Science and Medicine vol. 33, pp. 11-23.
Abstract: Although
adolescents currently account for only 1% of the reported cases of AIDS
(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in the US, the % of those infected with
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is undoubtedly much greater. Adolescents
are at increased risk of HIV transmission because of their behavioral
lifestyle, including unprotected sexual activity, multiple sexual partners,
& intravenous drug use; inner-city minority teenagers, youth in detention
facilities, & street youth are at particular risk. It is argued that
prevention programs emphasizing cognitive & behavioral skills training are
essential to limit further spread of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. The AIDS Risk
Reduction Model, an example of such a social-physiological program, identifies
three stages necessary to reduce risky sexual activities: (1) recognizing that
one's activities make one vulnerable to contracting HIV; (2) deciding to alter
these behaviors & implementing that decision; & (3) overcoming barriers
to enacting the decision, eg, problems in sexual communication & seeking
help when necessary. To reach all adolescents, it is recommended that HIV
prevention programs be age-appropriate & sensitive to cultural values,
religious beliefs, sex roles, & adolescent group customs. [Source: SA]
Lamanna, Mary Ann. 1991. “Teenagers' Decision-Making About Sexuality and Reproduction: Policy Implications.” Paper presented at American Sociological Association (ASA), 1991.
Abstract: Data from 225
focus group participants & semistructured interviews with 64 teenage women
(white/black; ever-pregnant vs never-pregnant) provide information on teen
women's sexual & reproductive decision making in a midwestern US city.
Typical decision sequences are identifiable. Young women in the pair bonding
model make an early commitment to family-building, in an often fictive
"ritual marriage." In the development model, teens are highly
committed to educational & career goals, more attentive to the need for contraception,
& more open to abortion or adoption as possible solutions to problem
pregnancies; goals & aspirations regarding future relationships &
marriage are vague, & paradoxically, their rational & detached approach
to gaining sexual experiences leads to activity that seems emotionally
undesired, yet entails the risk of pregnancy. Results are compared to the
premises of contemporary teen pregnancy policy in such areas as: religious
proscriptions, family relationships, & sexual activity; life goals & self-esteem;
peer culture; sex education; mentoring programs; school retention programs;
role playing; contraceptive programs; adoption, or abortion as solutions to
problem pregnancies; & job training & career development. [Source: SA]
Cullari, Salvatore and Robert Mikus. 1990. “Correlates of Adolescent Sexual Behavior.” Psychological Reports vol. 66, pp. 1179-1184.
Abstract: 50 9th and 66 12th
graders in a Catholic school and 52 9th and 40 12th graders in public school
completed questionnaires concerning sexual knowledge and information about
sexual activity. Analysis showed that 33% of Catholic and 73% of public 12th
graders had previous sexual experience. Catholic school 12th graders had
significantly higher scores on sex knowledge than did public school Ss. Factors
Ss said encouraged sexual experimentation included curiosity, need for love,
and peer pressure; factors discouraging experimentation were said to be fear of
pregnancy and sexually transmissible diseases.
[Source: PI]
Allen, Carlton E. 1989. “A Program of Sex Education for Adolescents of the First Baptist Church of Greenwood, South Carolina.” Thesis, Andover Newton Theological School.
Abstract: The thesis of this
project is that the church must respond to adolescents who are undergoing parental
divorce. This project presents one method of dealing with this problem. The
type of therapy provided and examined in this context is group therapy
sponsored by the church. The theological, psychological and practical
implications of this therapy are examined as to their effects upon the group in
general and the individual adolescents participating in the group. Case studies
are also presented as a way of examining the group's effectiveness. The
conclusion is that all the adolescents involved in this group received positive
therapeutic help and that the church was and is an important place for this
therapy to exist. [Source: RI]
Gassaway, Jeanette Marie. 1989. “Adolescent Sexuality Education: A Survey within the Black Church.” M.a. Thesis, Michigan State University.
Abstract: This study
assessed the informational interests of adolescents and their parents for
sexuality education, adolescents' sexual knowledge and sexual concerns,
adolescents' first, current, and preferred sources of information as indicated
by adolescents and parents, and parent-child communication about sexuality. The
results indicated that adolescents were marginally interested in obtaining more
information about sexuality topics while parents were significantly more
interested in their adolescents obtaining more information on sexuality topics.
Adolescents were knowledgeable about sexual functioning, and were not greatly
concerned about the sexual issues presented. Mother, school, and friends were
both adolescents' first and current sources of sexuality information. They
preferred mother, school, and church. Parents reported that mother, school, and
father were adolescents' current sources of sexuality information. Parents
preferred mother, church, and father. Parents reported discussing and wanting
to discuss sexuality with their children and feeling comfortable in doing so
significantly more than adolescents.
[Source: DA]
Green, Shelley K. and Donna L. Sollie. 1989. “Long-Term Effects of a Church-Based Sex Education Program on Adolescent Communication.” Family Relations vol. 38, pp. 152-156.
Sidey, Kenneth H. 1989. “Kids Get the Message: It's Okay to Say No.” Christianity Today vol. 33.
Valentino, Lorene. 1989. “Teenage Pregnancy from the Perspective of Three Groups of Low Income Teenage Girls.” Ed.d. Thesis, University of Southern California.
Abstract: Purpose. The
primary purposes of the study were to determine and to analyze the perceptions
of three groups of teenagers (pregnant girls, girls using birth controls, and
girls never pregnant and do not use birth controls) regarding (1) sex education
in the schools; (2) their locii of control; and (3) their personal and
professional goals. A secondary purpose of the study was to compare the three
groups of teenage girls on the basis of selected personal and professional
characteristics. Procedure. A 40-item questionnaire-survey was utilized to
survey 548 teenage girls enrolled in a summer work program for economically
disadvantaged youth in Central California. The descriptive study used a
Likert-type weighted scale to analyze and compare mean responses to survey
questions. Findings. Most of the girls in all three groups received at least
one quarter of sex education in the schools. Girls using birth controls
reported receiving information about contraceptives in education classes at an
earlier grade level than the other two groups. The birth control group of girls
had the highest internal locii of control and also had a significantly higher
reported use of birth controls than the pregnant girls who had the highest
external locii of control. The group of girls who had experienced a pregnancy
were one grade level behind girls in the other two groups. Girls who abstain
from sex more often come from two parent families and attend church more
frequently than girls in either of the other two groups. Conclusions.
Instruction and activities which teach self- esteem, decision making, and
assertiveness are effective methods to increase contraceptive use among
sexually active teenage girls. Family stability and participation in religious
activities make positive contributions to abstinence of sexual relations for
teenage girls. Recommendations. Sex education is a highly controversial issue
and educators should develop a program representative of differing viewpoints
but still appropriate for teenagers. Information regarding contraceptives
should be taught at a lower grade level than is current practice and curriculum
should include self-esteem/assertiveness training activities. [Source: DA]
Collins, John K. and Lesley Robinson. 1986. “The Contraceptive Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Unmarried Adolescents.” Australian Journal of Sex, Marriage and Family vol. 7, pp. 132-152.
Abstract: Studied the
premarital contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 288 14-25 yr
old males and females. The Contraceptive Knowledge Schedule, the Social
Desirability scale of the Personality Research Form, the Contraceptive Practice
Schedule, and an attitude measure were administered. Results reveal a
substantial incidence of unprotected coitus among adolescents. Females had more
adequate knowledge and more favorable attitudes and reported greater
contraceptive efficiency and use than males. Discussion of contraception with
one's partner was associated with greater efficiency and use, while greater
educational attainments were associated with increased knowledge and
favorability toward contraceptive practices. Less sexually experienced
adolescents were inclined to be nonusers of contraception, as were those who
disapproved of premarital intercourse. Other than the finding that adolescents
who had never attended church used contraception at an earlier age, religiosity
was not associated with either knowledge of, efficiency of, or favorability
toward contraceptive use. [Source: PI]
Marsiglio, W. and F. L. Mott. 1986. “The Impact of Sex Education on Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use and Premarital Pregnancy among American Teenagers.” Family Planning Perspectives vol. 18, pp. 151-162.
Abstract: Sixty percent of
women and 52 percent of men now in their 20s took a sex education course by age
19, according to the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience of
Youth. Whites are more likely than either blacks or Hispanics to have had a
course by that age--57 percent compared with 53 percent and 48 percent,
respectively. The survey also shows that large proportions of teenagers
initiate coitus before they have taken a sex education course. Among young
women who first have sex at age 15, for example, only 48 percent have already
taken a course (i.e., have taken it at a younger age or at the same age); and
among young women who first have intercourse at age 18, the proportion is 61
percent. Young men are even less likely than young women to take a course
before they begin coitus--at age 15, the figure is 26 percent, and at age 18,
52 percent. Adolescent women who have previously taken a sex education course
are somewhat more likely than those who have not to initiate sexual activity at
ages 15 and 16 (though they are no more likely to do so at ages 17 and 18).
However, the effect of prior sex education is small, and is weaker than that of
virtually every other variable found to have a significant relationship with
first intercourse at ages 15-16. Among the strongest determinants of first
coitus at those ages are infrequent church attendance, parental education of
fewer than 12 years and black race. Older sexually active girls who have
previously had a course are significantly more likely to use an effective
contraceptive method (73 percent) than are those who have never taken a course
(64 percent). This relationship may offset any effect that a sex education
course may have in raising the likelihood of early first coitus, since no
significant association can be found between taking a sex education course and
subsequently becoming premaritally pregnant before age 20. [Source: ML]
Poris, Barry. 1986. “The Conceptualization of a New Program Design Concerning Sexuality for Adolescents in a Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan New York.” Thesis, Columbia University Teachers College.
Powell, Lane H. and Stephen R. Jorgensen. 1985. “Evaluation of a Church-Based Sexuality Education Program for Adolescents.” Family Relations: Journal of Applied Family and Child Studies vol. 34, pp. 475-482.
Abstract: 49 females and 25
males (aged 14-28 yrs) attending a Protestant church were administered a sex
knowledge test, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a personal values scale.
Ss subsequently attended a church-based sexual education program designed to
increase sex information and self-esteem and to clarify personal values. 41
control Ss from a church of the same denomination and size in the same
geographic area completed the pre- and posttests but not the education program.
Posttest evaluation showed that level of sexual knowledge and clarity of
personal sexual values in the experimental Ss increased over levels in the
controls. Results suggest that short-term programs are effective, and a
recommendation for parent/teen involvement in program design is made. [Source: PI]
Stayton, W. R. 1985. “Religion and Adolescent Sexuality.” Seminars in Adolescent Medicine vol. 1, pp. 131-137.
Abstract: The health
professional can be helpful to the adolescent, the adolescent's family, and the
community through participating in and initiating local sex education programs.
Religious settings provide a great potential for sexuality education within a
value framework. A helpful curriculum will include the meaning of sexuality;
developing a positive concept of sexuality, and a healthy sexual identity;
present the issues of adolescent sexuality, including the various health
issues; and an understanding of quality relationships within the family and
among peers. If health professions and the community religious institutions can
joint together, they can reach the goals of most programs in human sexuality,
namely, "learning to appreciate our sexuality as a positive potential for
self-expression, fulfillment and intimacy; respect for the personhood and
well-being of others; and responsible decision-making." [Source: ML]
Jacknik, Mich and et al. 1984. “Octopus: A Church-Based Sex Education Program for Teens and Parents.” Adolescence vol. 19, pp. 757-763.
Abstract: Describes OCTOPUS,
a rural, church-based sex education program for teenagers and parents that was
designed to promote open communication regarding sexuality. The purpose of
OCTOPUS was to establish a forum for family discussion within a church setting
to enhance communication skills, convey factual information, and cultivate the
development of a decision-making process to help parents help their teenagers
acquire appropriate morals and values. Feedback from 4 churches and 100
participants is presented, indicating favorable results of the program. [Source: PI]
Swan, Raymond W. 1983. “Communicating About Sexuality in Catholic Homes.” Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality vol. 1, pp. 39-52.
Abstract: Investigated
whether Catholic parents were conservative with reference to discussion of
sexual matters with their adolescent daughters. 139 female high school seniors
from a predominately White middle-class Catholic congregation were given a
questionnaire designed to elicit responses about how their families deal with
sex education in the home. A similar questionnaire was given to 69 mothers and
24 fathers of these adolescents. Results are discussed in terms of sexual
sophistication of adolescents, conservatism in Catholic homes, the parent who
most frequently communicated about sexual matters, and communication of sexual
themes on TV. Findings highlight the increased family tension that results from
sexual themes being introduced more frequently into American homes through TV.
Implications for the role of the social worker as a facilitator between parents
and children when sexual issues are at hand are discussed. [Source: PI]
Fisher, Terri Dale. 1982. “Parent-Child Communication and Adolescents' Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes.” Ph.d. Thesis, University of Georgia.
Abstract: Previous studies
have indicated that teenagers whose parents have talked to them about sex tend
to be less sexually active and more likely to use an effective method of
contraception. This study sought to determine the effects of parent-child
communication about sex on young adolescents' reproduction and contraceptive
knowledge and their sexual attitudes. In addition, the characteristics of
parents who often had sexual discussions with their offspring were examined, as
well as the effects of pretesting on sexual knowledge and attitudes. The
research participants were 10 male and 12 female 12-14 year olds and their
parents. The participating families were basically middle-class, white,
Protestant, and well educated. Parents and their children completed the 24-item
version of the Miller-Fiske Sexual Knowledge Test as well as Calderwood's
Checklist of Attitudes Toward Aspects of Human Sexuality. Other questionnaires
were used to determine background information about the parents and their
children. Only half of the children were pretested. The parent who was the
predominant sex educator for each family was determined, and these parents were
placed into "high sexual communication" and "low sexual
communication" categories. These two groups of parents were found to be equivalent
in terms of occupational status, education, religion, marital status, and
sexual permissiveness, but parents in the high communication group scored
significantly higher on the sexual knowledge test. There were no significant
differences in the sexual knowledge, attitudes, or contraceptive choices of the
children in the high communication and low communication groups, but the
correlation between parents' and children's sexual attitudes in the high
communication group (.76) was significantly higher than that of parents and
children in the low communication group (.28). There were no significant
effects of pretesting on the children's scores on the knowledge, attitude, or
contraceptive choice tests. Adolescent subjects who had previously taken a sex education
course scored significantly higher on the sexual knowledge test than those who
had not taken such a course. The predominant effect of parent-child discussion
about sex seems to be on the children's sexual attitudes and values. [Source: DA]
Dworkin, Rosalind J. and Alfred N. Poindexter. 1980. “Pregnant Low-Income Teenagers: A Social Structural Model of the Determinants of Abortion-Seeking Behavior.” Youth and Society vol. 11, pp. 295-309.
Abstract: While there has
been substantial sociological research on the attitudes of women seeking
abortion, few studies have been concerned with teenaged abortion patients.
Proposed is a theoretical model to test decisions to abort or to deliver by
low-income pregnant teenage girls. A path model is hypothesized containing 7
variables: age, race, religion, education, marital status, number of children,
& delivery/abortion-seeking behavior. Analysis of 1,341 abortion patients
& 390 delivery patients at Houston's Jefferson Davis County Hospital was
made from hospital admissions interview data. Behavior was most directly
affected by the number of children, marital status, & age. The tendency to
seek an abortion is evident among those under age 20 who have not yet felt
social reinforcement of commitment to having one's own children. Needed are
more aggressive sex-education programs within school curricula. [Source: SA]
Fischer, Kay Pamela Justman. 1979. “Precocious Pregnancies: Patterns of Sexuality among White Adolescent Women in the Rural South.” Ph.d. Thesis, University of Florida.
Abstract: Adolescent
pregnancy has been noted as a social phenomenon capable of affecting population
trends relatively recently in America. However, patterns of early birth have
long been recognized as contributors to dense populations in developing
countries. Sexuality among adolescents has been explained primarily as a
variant of deviant behavior and pregnancy as the result of either contraceptive
incompetence or psychological forces. Study populations have commonly been
derived from urban settings and often are black and/or lower socio-economic
class. Clinic populations are frequently utilized. Surveying techniques have
been the most prevalent investigative methodology. Adolescent sexuality
represents a complex behavioral issue that can significantly affect health
status and has been investigated from multiple viewpoints. The theoretical
context for this study was compiled from research in human sexuality,
adolescence, sex roles, demography and social anthropology. Strawberry
Junction, a community in north central Florida, was selected as the study site
on the basis of a field trial and demographic investigation as conforming to
the typical southern rural pattern: land- based economy, religious
fundamentalism, racial segregation, kin-based social organization, and
complementary sex roles. The town accounts for approximately one-third of the
15,000 county residents and serves as the county seat. It contains the only
high school in addition to a middle and vocational school for adolescents which
together enroll about 2,500 students. The study group included one hundred
white woman aged 13 to 19 and drawn primarily from the schools and seventy-
five adults judged as having insight into adolescent concerns, e.g. parents,
young marrieds, teachers, ministers, social agency personnel, and so forth. A
small number of males (fifteen) were included as corroborative informants. A
natural historical approach was used for this study in order to avoid bias
inherent in a clinical population of medically-assisted contraceptors.
Information was elicited via structured and informal interviews and participant
observation during the period of community residency from September 1974
through June 1976. The study provides contextual information about adolescent
sexuality and contraceptive behavior of white rural adolescent women. The
following findings of the study are significant in understanding the behavior
of these teenagers. Sexual relations are important to adolescent life and begin
early. Expression differs between boys and girls. Girls' sexual aggressiveness
is not intrinsically sexual but is related to achievement of social goals.
Adolescents are ineffective contraceptors due to the inadequacy of their
knowledge base and difficulties in accessing medical services. Folk techniques
are often relied upon. Intergenerational interaction is minimal with
generational insularity maintained by parents as well as teenagers. Adults do
not educate their young in sexual matters and covertly allow adolescent sexual
activity by according teenagers a high degree of social autonomy. The failure
of adults to provide sexual instruction to youth is due in part to religious
sanctions and in part to their own inadequate knowledge base. Due to sex role
differentiation in the rural south adolescence is a period of apprenticeship
for males but a period of deviance for girls which will terminate upon
marriage. This female role-deviation is described as "male-mimicking."
Marriage and childbearing are ultimate female goals; alternate role models for
women are rare in the community. Precocious pregnancy is not tragic but rather
begins the preordained course early. Community religious tenets and social
structure prescribe the options for pregnant girls. In order of preference,
they are marriage, adoption, raising by the unwed mothers, or abortion.
Abortion appears to be rare. Choice of sexual partners appears to be different
than described for urban settings. The pattern is often young girls partnered
by older men, occasionally in incestuous relationships. [Source: DA]
Berman, Myron. 1970. “Sex and the Jewish Teenager.” Religious Education vol. 65, pp. 415-421.
Abstract: Sex-with-affection
among the middle classes, constituting the sexual revolution, is less evident
among Jews than among Catholics and Protestants, but shows signs of increasing.
Stability of the family has served as the common denominator of sexual behavior
for Jews, coupled with the elevated status of women. Sex education should
include: physiological factors, interpersonal relations, preparation for
marriage, sociological considerations, and formulating a standard of values.
Girls in a sex education class posed almost 3 times as many questions as boys.
Girls' inquiries, in descending order, related to female physiology and the
birth process, social implications of sexual behavior, petting, social-sexual
behavior, male physiology, intercourse, and contraception. Boys' lesser concern
over interpersonal relations suggests continued existence of a double standard
with respect to sex. Avoiding puritanism and irrelevancy, future programs can
construct a bridge for understanding sex within a total philosophy of
life. [Source: PI]
Irvine, John M., Jr. 1968. “Sex Education for Church Youth.” International Journal of Religious Education vol. 44, pp. 10-11.