ERIC Number: EJ1106052
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-1811
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Parents and Peers in Understanding Female Adolescent Sexuality--Testing Perceived Peer Norms as Mediators between Some Parental Variables and Sexuality
Rajhvajn Bulat, Linda; Ajdukovic, Marina; Ajdukovic, Dea
Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v16 n5 p455-470 2016
Previous research has confirmed peers and parents as significant agents of socialisation with respect to young people's sexuality. The aim of this cross-sectional cohort study was to examine how parental and peer variables predict young women's sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions, and whether perceived peer influences mediate the relationship between parental variables and young person sexuality. A total of 560 female high school students of 1st (mean age 15.56 years) and 3rd grade (mean age 17.55 years), selected by means of two-stage stratified probability sampling participated in the research. Results confirmed that peer variables explained considerably more variance in participant sexuality than parental variables. Indirect parental communication about sexuality was a significant positive predictor of sexual behaviour and sexuality-related thoughts and emotions in both subsamples. The strength of direct and indirect influences of parents and peers on young people's sexuality is determined by the age of the young person and specific aspects of adolescent sexuality. Perceived percentage of sexually active peers was the only mediator in older participants, while in the younger subsample, additional peer variables mediated the association between some parental and sexuality variables. In the discussion, special attention is given to implications of these results for planning future forms of comprehensive sexual education.
Descriptors: Sexuality, Females, Adolescents, Peer Influence, Social Attitudes, Parent Influence, Socialization, Predictor Variables, High School Students, Age Differences, Foreign Countries, Questionnaires, Parent Child Relationship, Peer Relationship, Self Concept Measures, Statistical Analysis
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Croatia
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Self Description Questionnaire
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A