Abstract
This chapter presents a theoretical framework that incorporates eight significant factors that have been associated with adolescent sexuality and sexual behaviors. Specifically, we discuss genetics, antenatal experiences, gender, parents, siblings, peers, partners, and neighborhood and cultural influences. Next, we provide an overview of the developmental trajectory of sexual behavior during adolescence. We also highlight the role of media in influencing adolescent sexual behavior. We then review psychosexual development and four dimensions of adolescent sexual self-concept (i.e., sexual self-esteem, sexual openness, sexual ambivalence, sexual anxiety). Finally, our chapter concludes with a discussion of adolescent sexual health and the limits of our current sexual health curriculum.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alanko, K., Santtila, P., Harlaar, N., Witting, K., Varjonen, M., Jern, P., et al. (2010). Common genetic effects of gender atypical behavior in childhood and sexual orientation in adulthood: A study of Finnish twins. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 81–92.
Alexander, G. M., & Hines, M. (2002). Sex differences in response to children’s toys in nonhuman primates (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus). Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 467–479.
Arcabascio, C. (2010). Sexting and teenagers: OMG RU Going 2 Jail???, XVI Rich. JL & Tech, 10.
Argys, L. M., Rees, D. I., Averett, S. L., & Witoonchart, B. (2006). Birth order and risky adolescent behavior. Economic Inquiry, 44, 215–233.
Armour, S., & Haynie, D. (2007). Adolescent sexual debut and later delinquency. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 141–152.
Bacon, J. L. (1999). Adolescent sexuality and teen pregnancy prevention. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 12, 185–193.
Bailey, J. M., Dunne, M. P., & Martin, N. G. (2000). Genetic and environmental influences on sexual orientation and its correlates in an Australian twin sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 524–536.
Bearinger, L. H., Sieving, R. E., Ferguson, J., & Sharma, V. (2007). Adolescent health 2: Global perspectives on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents: Patterns, prevention, and potential. The Lancet, 369, 1220–1231.
Birnbaum, G. E., Reis, H. T., Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., & Orpaz, A. (2006). When sex is more than just sex: Attachment orientations, sexual experience, and relationship quality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 929.
Blythe, M. J. M. D., Fortenberry, J. D. M. D. M. S., Temkit, M. H. M. S., Tu, W. P., & Orr, D. P. M. D. (2006). Incidence and correlates of unwanted sex in relationships of middle and late adolescent women. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 160, 591–595.
Bocklandt, S., Horvath, S., Vilain, E., & Hamer, D. (2006). Extreme skewing of X chromosome inactivation in mothers of homosexual men. Human Genetics, 118, 691–694.
Bolton, F. G., Jr., & MacEachron, A. E. (1988). Adolescent male sexuality: A developmental perspective. Journal of Adolescent Research, 3, 259–273.
Brady, S. S., & Halpern-Felsher, B. L. (2007). Adolescents’ reported consequences of having oral sex versus vaginal sex. Pediatrics, 119, 229–236.
Braun-Courville, D. K., & Rojas, M. (2009). Exposure to sexually explicit web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 156–162.
Breakwell, G. M., & Millward, L. J. (1997). Sexual self-concept and sexual risk-taking. Journal of Adolescence, 20, 29–41.
Brewster, K. L., & Tillman, K. H. (2008). Who’s doing it? Patterns and predictors of youths’ oral sexual experiences. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 42, 73–80.
Brown, J. D., Halpern, C. T., & L’Engle, K. L. (2005). Mass media as a sexual super peer for early maturing girls. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 36, 420–427.
Brown, J. D., & L’Engle, K. L. (2009). X-rated. Communication Research, 36, 129–151.
Brown, J. D., L’Engle, K. L., Pardun, C. J., Guo, G., Kenneavy, K., & Jackson, C. (2006). Sexy media matter: Exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines predicts black and white adolescents’ sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 117, 1018–1027.
Browning, C. R., Burrington, L. A., Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Neighborhood structural inequality, collective efficacy, and sexual risk behavior among urban youth. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 49, 269–285.
Buhi, E. R., & Goodson, P. (2007). Predictors of adolescent sexual behavior and intention: A theory-guided systematic review. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 4–21.
Bukowski, W. M., Sippola, L. K., & Newcomb, A. F. (2000). Variations in patterns of attraction of same- and other-sex peers during early adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 36, 147–154.
Bullough, V. L. (1995). Sexuality and religion. In L. Diamant & R. D. McAnulty (Eds.), The pscyhology of sexual orientation, behavior, and identity: A handbook. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Butler, T. H., Miller, K. S., Holtgrave, D. R., Forehand, R., & Long, N. (2006). Stages of sexual readiness and six-month stage progression among African American pre-teens. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 378–386.
Buzwell, S., & Rosenthal, D. (1996). Constructing a sexual self: Adolescents’ sexual self-perceptions and sexual risk-taking. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 6, 489–513.
Campbell, C., & MacPhail, C. (2002). Peer education, gender and the development of critical consciousness: Participatory HIV prevention by South African youth. Social Science & Medicine, 55, 331–345.
Campbell, B. (2006). Adrenarche and the evolution of human life history. American Journal of Human Biology, 18, 569–589.
Christopher, F. S., & Cate, R. M. (1988). Premarital sexual involvement: A developmental investigation of relational correlates. Adolescence, 23, 793–803.
Cohen-Bendahan, C. C. C., van de Beek, C., & Berenbaum, S. A. (2005). Prenatal sex hormone effects on child and adult sex-typed behavior: Methods and findings. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 29, 353–384.
Cooper, A., McLoughlin, I. P., & Campbell, K. M. (2000). Sexuality in cyberspace: Update for the 21st century. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 3, 521–536.
Cubbin, C., Santelli, J., Brindis, C., & Braveman, P. (2005). Neighborhood context and sexual behaviors among adolescents: Findings from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37, 125–134.
DiClemente, R. J., Crittenden, C. P., Rose, E., Sales, J. M., Wingood, G. M., Crosby, R. A., et al. (2008). Psychosocial predictors of HIV-associated sexual behaviors and the efficacy of prevention interventions in adolescents at-risk for HIV infection: What works and what doesn’t work? Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 598–605.
Dittmann, R. W., Kappes, M. E., & Kappes, M. H. (1992). Sexual behavior in adolescent and adult females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 17, 153–170.
Dornbusch, S. M., Carlsmith, J. M., Gross, R. T., Martin, J. A., Jennings, D., Rosenberg, A., et al. (1981). Sexual development, age, and dating: A comparison of biological and social influences upon one set of behaviors. Child Development, 52, 179–185.
East, P. L., Reyes, B. T., & Horn, E. J. (2007). Association between adolescent pregnancy and a family history of teenage births. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39, 108–115.
Ehrhardt, A. A. (1996). Our view of adolescent sexuality—A focus on risk behavior without the developmental context. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 1523–1525.
English, A. (2002). The health of adolescent girls: Does the law support it? Current Women’s Health Reports, 2, 442–449.
Fasula, A. M., & Miller, K. S. (2006). African-American and Hispanic adolescents’ intentions to delay first intercourse: Parental communication as a buffer for sexually active peers. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 193–200.
Findholt, N., & Robrecht, L. C. (2002). Legal and ethical considerations in research with sexually active adolescents: The requirement to report statutory rape. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 34, 259–264.
Fine, M. (1988). Sexuality, schooling, and adolescent females: The missing discourse of desire. Harvard Educational Review, 58, 29–51.
Fine, M., & McClelland, S. I. (2006). Sexuality education and desire: Still missing after all these years. Harvard Educational Review, 76, 297–338.
Friedman, R. C., & Downey, J. I. (2008). Sexual differentiation of behavior: The foundation of a developmental model of psychosexuality. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 56, 147–175.
Friedrich, W. N., Grambsch, P., Broughton, D., Kuiper, J., & Beilke, R. L. (1991). Normative sexual behavior in children. Pediatrics, 88, 456–464.
Furman, W., & Wehner, E. A. (1997). Adolescent romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. New Directions for Child Development, 78, 21–36.
Gagnon, J. H. (1985). Attitudes and responses of parents to pre-adolescent masturbation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 14, 451–466.
Gerressu, M., Mercer, C. H., Graham, C. A., Wellings, K., & Johnson, A. M. (2008). Prevalence of masturbation and associated factors in a British national probability survey. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 266–278.
Gfellner, B. M. (1986). Concepts of sexual behavior: Construction and validation of a developmental model. Journal of Adolescent Research, 1, 327–347.
Giordano, P. C., Longmore, M. A., & Manning, W. D. (2006). Gender and the meanings of adolescent romantic relationships: A focus on boys. American Sociological Review, 71, 260–287.
Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). Affairs of the heart: Qualities of adolescent romantic relationships and sexual behavior. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20, 983–1013.
Graber, J. A., Nichols, T. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Putting pubertal timing in developmental context: Implications for prevention. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 254–262.
Green, R., & Keverne, E. B. (2000). The disparate maternal aunt-uncle ratio in male transsexuals: An explanation invoking genomic imprinting. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 202, 55–63.
Grimbos, T., Dawood, K., Burriss, R. P., Zucker, K. J., & Puts, D. A. (2010). Sexual orientation and the second to fourth finger length ratio: A meta-analysis in men and women. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124, 278–287.
Grocke, M., Smith, M., & Graham, P. (1995). Sexually abused and nonabused mothers’ discussions about sex and their children’s sexual knowledge. Child Abuse & Neglect, 19, 985–996.
Guo, G., & Tong, Y. (2006). Age at first sexual intercourse, genes, and social context: Evidence from twins and the dopamine D4 receptor gene. Demography, 43, 747–769.
Halpern, C. T. (2010). Reframing research on adolescent sexuality: Healthy sexual development as part of the life course. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 42, 6–7.
Halpern, C. J. T., Udry, J. R., Suchindran, C., & Campbell, B. (2000). Adolescent males’ willingness to report masturbation. Journal of Sex Research, 37, 327–332.
Halpern-Felsher, B. L., Cornell, J. L., Kropp, R. Y., & Tschann, J. M. (2005). Oral versus vaginal sex among adolescents: Perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. Pediatrics, 115, 845–851.
Hassett, J. M., Siebert, E. R., & Wallen, K. (2008). Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children. Hormones and Behavior, 54, 359–364.
Hensel, D. J., Fortenberry, J. D., O’Sullivan, L., & Orr, D. P. (2011). The developmental association of sexual self-concept with sexual behavior among adolescent women. Journal of Adolescence, 34, 675–684.
Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Schick, V., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2010). Sexual behavior in the United States: Results from a national probability sample of men and women ages 14–94. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7, 255–265.
Herdt, G., & McClintock, M. (2000). The magical age of 10. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29, 587–606.
Horne, S., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. (2005). Female sexual subjectivity and well-being: Comparing late adolescents with different sexual experiences. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2, 25–40.
Horne, S., & Zimmer Gembeck, M. J. (2006). The female sexual subjectivity inventory: Development and validation of a multidimensional inventory for late adolescents and emerging adults. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 125–138.
Houlihan, A. E., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., Yeh, H. C., Reimer, R. A., & Murry, V. M. (2008). Sex and the self the impact of early sexual onset on the self-concept and subsequent risky behavior of african american adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 28, 70–91.
Hust, S. J. T., Brown, J. D., & L’Engle, K. L. (2008). Boys will be boys and girls better be prepared: An analysis of the rare sexual health messages in young adolescents’ media. Mass Communication and Society, 11, 3–23.
Hyde, A., Howlett, E., Brady, D., & Drennan, J. (2005). The focus group method: Insights from focus group interviews on sexual health with adolescents. Social Science & Medicine, 61, 2588–2599.
Impett, E., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. (2006). To be seen and not heard: Femininity ideology and adolescent girls’ sexual health. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 129–142.
Janus, S. S., & Janus, C. L. (1993). The Janus report on sexual behavior. New York: Wiley.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. (1953). Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Kinsey, A. C., Pomery, W. B., & Martin, C. E. (1948). Sexual behavior in the human male. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Kinsman, S. B., Romer, D., Furstenberg, F. F., & Schwarz, D. F. (1998). Early sexual initiation: The role of peer norms. Pediatrics, 102, 1185–1192.
Koyama, A., Corliss, H. L., & Santelli, J. S. (2009). Global lessons on healthy adolescent sexual development. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 21, 444–449.
Landry, T., & Bergeron, S. (2011). Biopsychosocial factors associated with dyspareunia in a community sample of adolescent girls. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 877–889.
Langlois, J. H., & Downs, A. C. (1980). Mothers, fathers, and peers as socialization agents of sex-typed play behaviors in young children. Child Development, 51, 1237–1247.
Laumann, E., Gagnon, J., Michael, R., & Michaels, S. (2000). The social organization of sexuality: Sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Leung, A. K. C., & Robson, W. L. M. (1993). Childhood masturbation. Clinical Pediatrics, 32, 238–241.
Luder, M.-T., Pittet, I., Berchtold, A., Akré, C., Michaud, P.-A., & Surís, J. C. (2011). Associations between online pornography and sexual behavior among adolescents: Myth or reality? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 1027–1035.
MacDonald, T. K., & Hynie, M. (2008). Ambivalence and unprotected sex: Failure to predict sexual activity and decreased condom use. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 1092–1107.
Mah, K., & Binik, Y. M. (2002). Do all orgasms feel alike? Evaluating a two-dimensional model of the orgasm experience across gender and sexual context. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 104–113.
Mah, K., & Binik, Y. M. (2005). Are orgasms in the mind or the body? Psychosocial versus physiological correlates of orgasmic pleasure and satisfaction. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 31, 187–200.
Manlove, J. S., Ryan, S., & Franzetta, K. (2007). Risk and protective factors associated with the transition to a first sexual relationship with an older partner. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 135–143.
Marín, B. V., Kirby, D. B., Hudes, E. S., Coyle, K. K., & Gómez, C. A. (2006). Boyfriends, girlfriends and teenagers’ risk of sexual involvement. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 38, 76–83.
Marston, C., & King, E. (2006). Factors that shape young people’s sexual behaviour: A systematic review. The Lancet, 368, 1581–1586.
Martino, S. C., Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Strachman, A., Kanouse, D. E., & Berry, S. H. (2006). Exposure to degrading versus nondegrading music lyrics and sexual behavior among youth. Pediatrics, 118, e430–e441.
Maticka-Tyndale, E. (2008). Sexuality and sexual health of Canadian adolescents: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 17, 85–95.
McHale, S. M., Bissell, J., & Kim, J.-Y. (2009). Sibling relationship, family, and genetic factors in sibling similarity in sexual risk. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 562–572.
Meana, M., & Nunnink, S. E. (2006). Gender differences in the content of cognitive distraction during sex. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 59–67.
Meyer-Bahlburg, H., Dolezal, C., Baker, S., & New, M. (2008). Sexual orientation in women with classical or non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia as a function of degree of prenatal androgen excess. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 85–99.
Miller, B. C., & Benson, B. (1999). Romantic and sexual relationship development during adolescence. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 99–121). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Moore, M. J., & Rienzo, B. A. (2000). Utilizing the SIECUS guidelines to asses sexuality education in one state: Content scope and importance. The Journal of School Health, 70, 56–60.
Morgan, E. M., & Zurbriggen, E. L. (2007). Wanting sex and wanting to wait: Young adults’ accounts of sexual messages from first significant dating partners. Feminism & Psychology, 17, 515–541.
Muehlenhard, C. L., & Peterson, Z. D. (2005). Wanting and not wanting sex: The missing discourse of ambivalence. Feminism & Psychology, 15, 15–20.
Mustanski, B., Viken, R. J., Kaprio, J., Winter, T., & Rose, R. J. (2007). Sexual behavior in young adulthood: A population-based twin study. Health Psychology, 26, 610–617.
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy & CosmoGirl.com. (2008). Sex and tech: Results from a survey of teens and young adults. Retrieved from http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/pdf/sextech_summary.pdf.
Oattes, M. & Offman, A. (2007). Global self-esteem and sexual esteem as predictors of sexual communication in intimate relationships. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 16, 89–100.
Okami, P., Olmstead, R., & Abramson, P. R. (1997). Sexual experiences in early childhood: 18-year longitudinal data from the UCLA family lifestyles project. Journal of Sex Research, 34, 339–347.
Ostrager, B. (2010). SMS. OMG! LOL! TTYL: Translating the law to accommodate today’s teens and the evolution from texting to sexting. Family Court Review, 48, 712–726.
O’Sullivan, L. F., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2005). The timing of changes in girls’ sexual cognitions and behaviors in early adolescence: A prospective, cohort study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37, 211–219.
O’Sullivan, L. F., Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F. L., & McKeague, I. W. (2006). The development of the sexual self-concept inventory for early adolescent girls. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 139–149.
O’Sullivan, L. F., Cheng, M. M., Harris, K. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). I wanna hold your hand: The progression of social, romantic and sexual events in adolescent relationships. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39, 100–107.
Ott, M. A., Pfeiffer, E. J., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2006). Perceptions of sexual abstinence among high-risk early and middle adolescents. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 39, 192–198.
Patton, M. (1986). Twentieth-century attitudes toward masturbation. Journal of Religion and Health, 25, 291–302.
Pearson, J., Muller, C., & Frisco, M. L. (2006). Parental involvement, family structure, and adolescent sexual decision making. Sociological Perspectives, 49, 67–90.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2006). Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit material on the internet. Communication Research, 33, 178–204.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2010). Processes underlying the effects of adolescents’ use of sexually explicit internet material: The role of perceived realism. Communication Research, 37, 375–399.
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. (2011). The use of sexually explicit internet material and its antecedents: A longitudinal comparison of adolescents and adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 1015–1025.
Pinkerton, S., Bogart, L., Cecil, H., & Abramson, P. (2003). Factors associated with masturbation in a collegiate sample. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 14, 103–121.
Pinquart, M. (2010). Ambivalence in adolescents’ decisions about having their first sexual intercourse. Journal of Sex Research, 47, 440–450.
Pleck, J. H., Sonenstein, F. L., & Ku, L. C. (1993). Masculinity ideology: Its impact on adolescent males’ heterosexual relationships. Journal of Social Issues, 49, 11–29.
Potard, C., Courtois, R., & Rusch, E. (2008). The influence of peers on risky sexual behaviour during adolescence. The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 13, 264–270.
Prinstein, M. J., Meade, C. S., & Cohen, G. L. (2003). Adolescent oral sex, peer popularity, and perceptions of best friends’ sexual behavior. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28, 243–249.
Rademakers, J., Laan, M., & Straver, C. J. (2003). Body awareness and physical intimacy: An exploratory study. In J. Bancroft (Ed.), Sexual development in childhood (pp. 121–125). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Rahman, Q., & Wilson, G. D. (2003). Sexual orientation and the 2nd to 4th finger length ratio: Evidence for organising effects of sex hormones or developmental instability? Psychoneuroendocrinology, 28, 288–303.
Richters, J., Visser, R., Rissel, C., & Smith, A. (2006). Sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter and occurrence of orgasm in a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 43, 217–226.
Robbins, C. L., Schick, V., Reece, M., Herbenick, D., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., et al. (2011). Prevalence, frequency, and associations of masturbation with partnered sexual behaviors among US adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Published online. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics. 2011.142.
Rosenthal, S. L., Cohen, S. S., & Biro, F. M. (1996). Developmental sophistication among adolescents of negotiation strategies for condom use. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 17, 94–97.
Rostosky, S. S., Dekhtyar, O., Cupp, P. K., & Anderman, E. M. (2008). Sexual self-concept and sexual self-efficacy in adolescents: A possible clue to promoting sexual health? Journal of Sex Research, 45, 277–286.
Sampson, R. J., Morenoff, J. D., & Gannon-Rowley, T. (2002). Assessing “neighborhood effects”: Social processes and new directions in research. Annual Review of Sociology, 28, 443–478.
Santelli, J. S. (2008). Medical accuracy in sexuality education: Ideology and the scientific process. American Journal of Public Health, 98, 1786–1792.
Short, M. B., Black, L., Smith, A. H., Wetterneck, C. T., & Wells, D. E. (2011). A review of internet pornography use research: Methodology and content from the past 10 years. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 15(1), 13–23. doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0477.
Sieving, R. E., Eisenberg, M. E., Pettingell, S., & Skay, C. (2006). Friends’ influence on adolescents’ first sexual intercourse. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 38, 13–19.
Skinner, S. R., Smith, J., Fenwick, J., Fyfe, S., & Hendriks, J. (2008). Perceptions and experiences of first sexual intercourse in Australian adolescent females. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 43, 593–599.
Štulhofer, A., Buško, V., & Landripet, I. (2010). Pornography, sexual socialization, and satisfaction among young men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 168–178.
Swenson, R. R., Rizzo, C. J., Brown, L. K., Vanable, P. A., Carey, M. P., Valois, R. F., et al. (2010). HIV knowledge and its contribution to sexual health behaviors of low-income African American adolescents. Journal of the National Medical Association, 102, 1173–1182.
Tanner, A. E., Fortenberry, J. D., Zimet, G. D., Reece, M., Graham, C. A., & Murray, M. (2010). Young women’s use of a microbicide surrogate: The complex influence of relationship characteristics and perceived male partners’ evaluations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39, 735–747.
Thigpen, J. W. (2009). Early sexual behavior in a sample of low-income, African American children. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 67–79.
Thigpen, J. W., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2009). Understanding variation in normative childhood sexual behavior: The significance of family context. Social Service Review, 83, 611–631.
Verweij, K. J. H., Zietsch, B. P., Bailey, J. M., & Martin, N. G. (2009). Shared aetiology of risky sexual behaviour and adolescent misconduct: Genetic and environmental influences. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 8, 107–113.
Weiss, R., & Samenow, C. P. (2010). Smart phones, social networking, sexting and problematic sexual behaviors—A call for research. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 17, 241–246.
Whitaker, D. J., & Miller, K. S. (2000). Parent-adolescent discussions about sex and condoms. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 251–273.
Wight, D., Williamson, L., & Henderson, M. (2006). Parental influences on young people’s sexual behaviour: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 473–494.
Ybarra, M. L., & Mitchell, K. J. (2005). Exposure to internet pornography among children and adolescents: A national survey. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 8, 473–486.
Yen, S. (2010). Reputable but inaccurate: Reproductive health information for adolescents on the web. Knowledge Quest, 38, 62–65.
Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., & Helfand, M. (2008). Ten years of longitudinal research on U.S. adolescent sexual behavior: Developmental correlates of sexual intercourse, and the importance of age, gender and ethnic background. Developmental Review, 28, 153–224.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Best, C., Fortenberry, J.D. (2013). Adolescent Sexuality and Sexual Behavior. In: O'Donohue, W., Benuto, L., Woodward Tolle, L. (eds) Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6633-8_19
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6632-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6633-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)