Breaking the Hymen and Reclaiming the “Cherry”: Adolescent Language Use in Negotiations of Autonomy in a Sexuality Education Program

Abstract

In early adolescence, from ages eleven to fourteen, health education often targets the development of health-promoting behaviors based on research that suggests that during this timeframe health risk behaviors are often initiated (Bruess and Greenberg, 2004). Developmental characteristics of early adolescents center upon biological changes (rapid growth and the onset of puberty), psychological changes (increasing independence and the balance of responsibility and privilege), and social changes (negotiating peer and parental influences). Muscari et al. (1997) suggested that it is the magnitude and complexity of these changes that place the adolescent at risk for engaging in health risk behaviors.